Dustin Poirier says he's only interested in taking fights that will help him get closer to a title shot -- and a rematch with Conor McGregor wouldn't help his cause.
Remember, Poirier fought Conor bad in 2014 and lost in the 1st round -- but Dustin's been an ANIMAL ever since, beating stars like Justin Gaethje, Anthony Pettis and Max Holloway.
In fact, Dustin is currently the #3 ranked UFC lightweight fighter -- with Conor behind him at #4.
Poirier tells TMZ Sports he thinks a win over Dan "The Hangman" Hooker on Saturday will get him closer to a title shot ... but he might need one more victory to seal the deal.
So, we asked if he'd be interested in McGregor after Hooker -- but Dustin says it just doesn't make sense.
"I mean I'd love to for the financial part of it but I'm not chasing grudge matches at this point in my life," Poirier says.
"I'd rather fight Tony Ferguson and get closer to the title but we'll see what happens."
Plus, as Dustin pointed out ... McGregor says he's retired from MMA ... so, it's not on the table anyway!
As for Dan Hooker -- who's on a 3-fight win streak -- Dustin says the key to victory is patience.
"It's a 5 round fight -- so pick my shots and wait for the big shot to be there. Don't force anything. I just need to be myself."