After nearly 14 years in the UFC, Dustin Poirier is seemingly closing in on his retirement fight.
Dustin Poirier’s Legendary Career Nearly Met End in New Jersey last year
Last seen in action this past summer, Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-7 UFC) tried and came up short in his third bid for undisputed UFC gold when he lost by fifth round submission to reigning lightweight king Islam Makhachev at UFC 302. The defeat was a devastating one for “The Diamond,” who initially contemplated walking away from the sport. Speaking with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour last June, Poirier appeared to be on the verge of retirement, unwilling to trek up the stacked lightweight ladder again for another title shot.
“I’m leaning towards being done,” Dustin Poirier said. “Yeah, for sure. Especially having got the title fight, how many more times would I need to fight to put myself back in a position to fight for the world?”
Dustin Poirier’s Last Walk To Octagon May Just Come On Home Turf
In the months since the interview, Poirier has remained relatively silent on his future in combat sports. Though he has entertained the idea of continuing to fight, including a third contest with fellow 155-lb star Justin Gaethje. However, the Louisiana native has begun to make waves recently by giving fans more insight on where he would like to finish out his career.
Making an appearance on The Jim Rome Show this past Friday, Dustin Poirier spoke about his plans to wrap up his UFC tenure, and where he wants to walk off into the sunset for the final time as a mixed martial artist.
“I’m still thinking about it, and me and the UFC, for the past couple of months, have been working on it,” Poirier mentioned to Rome. “I came up to them with the idea that I would love to lay the gloves down where I picked them up, in Louisiana. The UFC hasn’t been here in 10 or 11 years, so to bring the organization, bring the UFC back to the state of Louisiana and retire here, it means a lot to me, and I do think it could happen. I think we’re getting close. Nothing is for sure yet, but this summer is likely, I would say.”
Dustin Poirier Talks Potential Opponents In Last Fight in UFC
Seeking to put a bow on his stellar time in the promotion, Poirier stated who he would have liked to have faced in his concluding trip to the Octagon. His adversary of choice was none other than the aforementioned Gaethje, who the previous interim lightweight champion has an exciting history with.
“My first pick when we first started talking about a retirement in Louisiana was Justin Gaethje because we’re 1-1,” he said. “I beat him, he beat me. I would hate to close my career out without finishing this thing off right. But when I brought it to their attention, he already had a fight booked in March, I believe, against Dan Hooker. Which is an incredible fight. I’m a big fan of both guys, and that’s going to be a war that you cannot miss.”
There has also been talks about a proposed matchup against rising English star Paddy Pimblett. However, Dustin Poirier dismissed that possibility, bluntly stating he only desires to finish his career opposite another revered name in the division.
“That’s an interesting fight, but not for my retirement fight. It’s legends only, man.”
"Legends only, man."@DustinPoirier tells me who he's eyeing for a potential retirement match to close out his @UFC career, but it won't be Paddy Pimblett. pic.twitter.com/0V9eGoQcu3
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) February 8, 2025
The Last Dance for Dustin Poirier
Despite acknowledging that there are still several high-profile scraps on the table should he wish to continue fighting, Dustin Poirier firmly insists that his time as a cage fighter will come to an end after his next bout.
“I’m done. I have 50-something cage fights,” Dustin Poirier said. “Like I said, I still have more to give. There’s a lot of opportunities and big fights that can be made, but I’ve just been doing it so long, and I’m in a place with my other ventures and my family. I want to be home in a regular routine. I’ve given this sport a lot, and I think I’ve given it enough.”