Dustin Poirier surprised UFC fans this week by giving some unexpected advice to his opponent Conor McGregor, telling him to ‘be an a**hole’.

Speaking on the Joe Rogan podcast this week, Poirier, nicknamed ‘The Diamond’, revealed how much McGregor’s lack of trash-talk before the pair’s recent bout in January had influenced Poirier’s win.

At UFC 257 this January, Poirier pulled off a monumental upset as he beat the favourite McGregor inside two rounds, reversing the result of their first encounter which McGregor won at UFC 178 in 2014.

Poirier’s win put a spanner in the works for Dana White who, anticipating a McGregor win, had a McGregor vs Nurmagomedov fight in the works – a rematch of one of the most famous UFC bouts in recent history. His win also established him as the uncrowned UFC champion.

Following the fight, Poirier spoke to Joe Rogan and outlined how much of an effect McGregor’s lack of pre-fight trash talk had on his victory.

He told Rogan: “Fighting is hectic already…It being a little bit more calm for me, was smooth sailing man!”

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Rogan replied: “So it’s not good for him. It’s really better for him to be an a**hole”

“Yeah, be an a**hole,” Poirier exclaimed.

McGregor’s misdirected pre-fight tactics sharply contrasted those he used before his defeat of Poirier back in 2014 when he launched a tirade of taunting and smack talk towards the American and subsequently won the bout.

McGregor and Poirier have been rumoured to be returning to the Octagon as soon as this summer and what tactics McGregor employs before that bout will be interesting.

If he goes by Poirier’s advice then he will turn up the heat pre-fight and it already seems as though he’s headed in that direction as his Instagram posts have shown, particularly his post this February entitled ‘No more Mr Nice Guy.’

It seems McGregor is changing tack and becoming more of the ‘asshole’ encouraged by Poirier. It remains to be seen, however, if his fighting can follow on similarly.