Dustin Poirier could retire with win over Islam Makhachev at UFC 302: “It could be my last fight”
If Dustin Poirier defeats UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in June, that could be it for him.
‘The Diamond’ is fresh off his return to the cage at UFC 299 in March. Back for the first time since a knockout loss to Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier faced the rising Benoit Saint-Denis. Despite some early success from ‘The God of War’, the longtime lightweight wound up scoring a second-round knockout win.
With the victory, Dustin Poirier earned a shot against lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev. The two were booked to headline UFC 302 in June after Arman Tsarukyan declined a short-notice offer to face the champion. For ‘The Diamond’, this will be the third and likely final shot at undisputed gold.
If Dustin Poirier winds up defeating Islam Makhachev next month, there’s a chance that will be it for him. Speaking in a recent interview on The Fight Bananas Show, the lightweight was asked about his fighting future. There, Poirier admitted that if he wins UFC gold, he might just hang it up right there.
Now, that’s far from set in stone. In the interview, Dustin Poirier admitted that he still has a lot of thinking to do in regards to retirement. However, he’s not ruling out retirement with an upset victory over Islam Makhachev.
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Dustin Poirier opens up on retirement ahead of fight with UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev
“It could be [my last fight], I haven’t made an official decision yet. But, it could be.” Dustin Poirier stated in the interview when asked about retiring after his UFC 302 fight against Islam Makhachev. “I’ve said this over and over again, I still have a lot of tread left on the tires. I can beat these young guys, I just did it [against Saint-Denis]… It’s just like, how much do I want to give to this sport? Because you don’t ride for free.”
He continued, “I don’t want to make any decisions just based on the way I’m feeling [right now]. I need to go out there and fight, like I said in Miami.”
For what it’s worth, Dustin Poirier is currently an underdog for his return at UFC 302. According to MGM, ‘The Diamond’ is currently a +360 underdog, with Islam Makhachev positioned as a -500 favorite. However, if Poirier can upset the odds next month, it could be the final fight of his historic career.
What do you make of these comments from the UFC lightweight contender? Do you believe Dustin Poirier will defeat Islam Makhachev next month?
