McGregor says 'fight is off' over donation spat

LOS ANGELES • Ireland's Conor McGregor has told Dustin Poirier their third fight scheduled for July 10 is off after the pair quarrelled on Twitter over a US$500,000 (S$671,000) donation to the American's charity.

Former two-weight UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) champion McGregor said earlier this month that a third fight was booked with Poirier, who became the first man to knock him out in January. The Irishman had knocked the American out in a featherweight contest in 2014.

But McGregor, 32, was not happy when Poirier said the mixed martial arts superstar had not made good on a promise to donate to his charity.

"A donation, not a debt. We've been awaiting the plans for the money that never came," McGregor said in a reply. "I do with all my donations. Know where it's going dot for dot. Otherwise it goes walking. As is the case with a lot of these foundations, sadly.

"500k with no plan in place. You must be new to money. The fight is off... I'm going to fight someone else on the 10th."

Poirier replied by saying the Irishman's team "never responded" to e-mails explaining where the funds would go.

"100% never a debt. You offered, we accepted, and like I said your Team never responded to our e-mails regarding the process of where funds would be put to work," the 32-year-old tweeted.

According to ESPN, McGregor had said prior to UFC 257 in January that he would donate US$500,000 to Poirier's charity and that it would go toward building a gym for disadvantaged youth in the American's hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana.

The broadcaster also said that the fight at UFC 264 in July would have been a five-round bout at lightweight - the same conditions for January's rematch.

McGregor - who pocketed an estimated US$30 million in 2017 after fighting Floyd Mayweather in a cross-combat bout in Las Vegas - has also been repeatedly linked to a boxing match against Filipino welterweight star Manny Pacquiao.

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE