UFC lightweight Dustin Poirier can fight, but he’s also an impressive multitasker, as well.

On today’s episode of MMAjunkie Radio, Poirier (18-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) defended his decision to pass on a short-notice headliner against Norman Parke (21-4-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) while trading tweets with the Irish fighter.

After Joseph Duffy (14-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) scratched from this past Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 76 main event due to a pre-bout concussion, Parke was offered a chance to step in as the headliner – if Poirier agreed.

But Poirier did not, believing the bout could be rescheduled and, he said, getting the UFC’s blessing. Two days after the event, he isn’t one bit regretful about his choice.

“I stand by my decision,” he told MMAjunkie Radio. “Me and my coaches, we sat back and thought about it, we made a decision, and I’m sticking to it. That’s just how business goes sometimes.

“This camp wasn’t in vain,” he later added. “I’ve gotten more well-rounded, and I’m elevating my game.”

While reaction to the scrapped headliner was mostly limited to disappointment, a few fans were inevitably irked by Poirier’s decision not to fight Parke.

One tweet poked at the American Top Team fighter, which touched off a mid-interview exchange with Parke.

Poirier responded with a tweet of his own:

Of course, Parke, who went on to fight a previously scheduled bout against Reza Madadi (13-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) and win a unanimous decision in the event’s co-headliner, couldn’t resist a response (via Twitter):

Poirier responded (via Twitter):

Back on the air, Poirier opined that his business decision wasn’t just good for him, but his would-be opponent.

“Ha, that’s a joke, man,” Poirier told MMAjunkie Radio when asked about whether he could have beaten Parke had they met. “Parke’s an easy fight. I said that from the jump.

“Hey, I saved Norman Parke’s career. He should be thankful this weekend I didn’t fight him. He would have been 0-3 in his last three fights, and he would be getting his walking papers. He’s lucky.”

But for those who would argue that an easy fight is one quickly taken, Poirier said it isn’t that simple.

“All it would have been was a paycheck,” he said. “What if I had I broken my hand? What if I had torn my ACL? It’s more than just, ‘Let me get this paycheck.’ Norman Parke, for sure, is an easy fight. He’s going to try to lean on you, and he’s slow. I could go on and on.

“This is the thing. I’m a prize fighter, and the prize wasn’t right. That’s why I didn’t fight.”

There was a time when that might not have been the case, he added. Earlier in his career, when he was fighting on the regional circuit and many of his fights didn’t go on his official resume, he might have fought the first guy who stepped up. But with his livelihood now on the line, he’s thinking about the bigger picture.

“This is the thing I want people to know,” he said. “This would have been my 16th fight (under promotions owned by Zuffa LLC). This is for the fans who are talking crap or even other fighters who are: Listen, you think I’m scared to fight somebody? That’s ridiculous. I’m just looking at it as a business now. A lot of people are going to say, ‘You’re scared to fight.’ Me and my coaches sat down. I called my head coach, who was still in (Florida). He said, ‘Reschedule, and I’ll see you when you get back.’ It was that easy of a decision.

“Every time I’ve stepped into the octagon, I’ve always fought with all my heart and left it all in there. So for people to say stuff like that, it really gets under my skin. If I thought like the fans and made choices like a fan who’s sitting on his couch, drinking beers, I would be broke and braindead.”

Poirier hopes to reschedule the bout with Duffy at UFC 195 on Jan. 2 in Las Vegas, but he’s yet to hear what the plans are for his next fight. One thing he doesn’t feel is any resentment coming from the promotion about the turn of events that took place after Duffy’s withdrawal.

“This is what really made me feel better about the decision; before I made it, (UFC President) Dana (White) said, ‘Hey kid, don’t feel like this show is riding on your shoulders.’” Poirier said. “‘I don’t know what kind of camp you had. Fight if you really need to take this fight. If not, we’ll reschedule it.’

“When he said that, I was like, if these guys really needed me to fight, they would have told me that. I thought it was not that big of a deal. And you know what, I want to fight the guy I trained for.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 76, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show, available on SiriusXM Ch. 93, is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.