Conor McGregor narrowly avoids ‘crazy’ run-in with long-running rival

They were both in Las Vegas at the same time and were within metres of crossing paths.

The Irishman has fought the American three times, the first ending in a victory for the Dubliner in 2014.

A rematch in January 2021 resulted in payback for the Louisiana native, and a third encounter later that year cemented Poirier's bragging rights.

While the pair exchanged pleasantries after each bout, insults flew in both directions in the build-up with McGregor being specifically ruthless in his goading.

Many fans felt McGregor took things too far when he suggested he would kill Poirier inside the octagon and made a similar threat towards Poirier’s wife, Jolie.

A video surfaced over the weekend of McGregor being told that his former opponent was at the same venue, to which he responded: "Really? No way!", before looking around for the American.

Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show days later, Poirier said: "We were walking over to [our] booth, and Conor was behind me apparently.

"My agent was walking behind me, he grabs my shoulders and says: ‘Hey, go this way: to the right, to the right.’ Then, once we get clear of everybody, he’s like: ‘Dude, we almost had a big problem.’

"You ever watch Family Guy? You know when Peter and the chicken run into each other [and always fight]? That’s what would have happened," he added.

"Yeah, for sure, [because of what he said about my family] and just everything we have over the past however many years since our first fight. Dude, for sure, if we’d have made eye contact... That’s what I’m talking about: if our eyes would have met, it’d have been bad probably."

McGregor hasn't fought since his loss to Poirier in July, 2021, and cancelled his scheduled bout with Michael Chandler which was due to take place last June.

Over the weekend, the 36-year-old said that his comeback fight would take place on “February 1 in Saudi Arabia” before insisting that the man standing across from him would be New Zealand fighter “Dan Hooker.”

This apparent fight seemed to have been news to Hooker himself, who was also present at the event in support of American fighter Oscar Willis.

Hooker said of McGregor: "I’ve got an opponent early next year that I’m focused on, he’s just a busy man.

"From coming over here and seeing all the things that he’s got going on, if I had that amount of businesses and that much money I don’t think you’d catch me anywhere near a cage for the rest of my days.

"So I can understand. It kind of is what it is, I’m going to fight between January and March and you know me, it doesn’t really matter who that is. I always say yes."