Dustin Poirier Vows to Fight On: The UFC Star’s Unfinished Business
Dustin Poirier has made it clear: his UFC journey is far from over. Despite suffering his third title fight defeat, Poirier refuses to retire, driven by a renewed sense of purpose and an unyielding spirit.
The 36-year-old American fighter faced a tough challenge in June when he was submitted by lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. This loss followed previous submission defeats to Charles Oliveira in 2021 and Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2019. After the Makhachev fight, Poirier conceded that his dream of becoming an undisputed UFC champion might be over, leading him to contemplate retirement.
However, Poirier has since re-evaluated his motivations and decided to continue fighting, albeit with new goals. Speaking on the Anik & Florian podcast, he explained, “The shift needs to be internally, for what the motivation for fighting is. Because if it’s not about the world title, why am I fighting?”
Reflecting on his career and recent loss, Poirier shared his thought process: “After the Islam fight, when I got back home, I thought: ‘Maybe this is it?’ A few weeks went by, injuries started hurting less and less post-fight, and I was like: ‘I’ve got to do this again.’”
Poirier’s resolve is evident. “I’ve never lost two in a row, I can’t leave this sport on a loss,” he declared. “But at the same time, I want to be 100 percent in it if I’m going to do it again, because I don’t want to disrespect the sport. I honor this stuff, I do. I just want to do it right and get my hand raised and leave on my terms with a win.”
Despite his determination, Poirier remains realistic about the uncertainties of the sport. “That’s no guarantee. I could go back out there and somebody could whip my ass. That’s the thing.”
One potential opponent that excites Poirier is Nate Diaz. The two were scheduled to fight in 2018, but the bout fell through. Poirier has called out Diaz multiple times since, expressing a strong desire to face him in the octagon.
“The thing with Diaz is… I’m in contact with the UFC behind the scenes about my next moves all the time,” Poirier revealed. “We talk when I want to fight again, how bad are my injuries, things like that. And the last time I brought his name up, they didn’t want to talk about him, they didn’t want to do business.”
Poirier explained the challenges of dealing with Diaz: “A lot of fans don’t know, behind the scenes he’s such a struggle to deal with that I think they just don’t want to do it anymore. But if it came around, if that was something that was a reality, I 100 percent would take the fight right now, sign a contract today. And Nate knows that because I’ve done it a few times.”
Diaz, now 39, left the UFC after securing a submission win over Tony Ferguson in 2022. Since then, he has ventured into boxing, losing to Jake Paul but recently defeating fellow UFC veteran Jorge Masvidal. UFC president Dana White has hinted that Diaz could one day return to the UFC.
During the podcast, host Jon Anik, a UFC commentator, suggested several potential opponents for Poirier: “Nate Diaz, Conor McGregor, Alexander Volkanovski, Justin Gaethje, Max Holloway, Charles Oliveira, and Colby Covington.”
Poirier responded enthusiastically, “100 percent, for sure. If I do fight again and when I do fight again, it will be definitely one of those guys you just said.”
As Poirier prepares for his next chapter, his fans are left in eager anticipation. The former interim champion’s journey is far from over, and his unwavering determination to leave the sport on his own terms promises more thrilling battles ahead.
