Dustin Poirier has become one of the biggest UFC stars ever, despite never becoming an undisputed champion in the promotion. Fans have always appreciated his aggressive fighting style, endurance, and consistency.
Throughout 39 pro fights, Poirier has interestingly never lost two bouts consecutively. Since his last loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 302, “The Diamond” has been considering retirement instead of bouncing back again.
Here’s whether Poirier has officially retired and the conditions he’s laid down for returning to the Octagon…
Is Dustin Poirier Retired From The UFC?
No, Poirier is yet to confirm his retirement from the UFC. He recently appeared on the official MMA Junkie YouTube channel and discussed his latest vacation with friends and family.
The former interim UFC lightweight champion needs more time to confirm if he will never fight for the UFC again. He also aims to get back to training and evaluate his performance and conditioning.
When asked whether spending time with loved ones helped him decide about his career, here’s what “The Diamond” said:
“We’ll clean it up. Go 30 days, August, and just make a decision after that, you know. Get in shape, see how you feel. So, we’ll see man, I don’t know.
I need to make a solid decision so I can get out of the limbo, you know, because I’m still kind of like fighting myself every day not sure what I’m doing.”
Poirier also revealed that his body has been recovering well after the Makhachev fight. He needs nose surgery that can be delayed if he wants, but his knees and ribs feel better. So, his priority is to get back to training.
Dustin Poirier Admits Interest In Fighting For The Interim UFC Lightweight Championship
Poirier has agreed to fight Arman Tsarukyan for the interim UFC lightweight championship if Makhachev cannot compete in October due to injury. Considering that the division has no other solid contenders, the fight could be more realistic than it seems.
An interim belt win would ensure Poirier gets another shot at the UFC lightweight title. This explains why he’s not equally interested in other popular opponents like Charles Oliveira, Nate Diaz, Conor McGregor, and Alexander Volkanovski.
“Yeah, I wonder what they’re going to do with that, you know. Who’s? Arman’s gonna continue to like wait for Islam. I don’t know when Islam’s going to be back but I saw a thing he said is, he might have to have surgery so we’ll see man.”
Overall, fans can look forward to learning more concrete details about Poirier’s retirement or upcoming fight in the coming weeks.
