Prior to his upcoming bout at UFC 318, Dustin Poirier revealed his selections for the MMA Mount Rushmore, including a well-known figure and a more contentious choice.
Poirier is anticipated to receive a warm welcome this Saturday from his home state crowd in Louisiana, as he enters the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
Headlining UFC 318, Poirier is set to conclude his illustrious 18-year career by facing Max Holloway, with this bout marking his retirement from the sport.
Having spent nearly two decades in MMA, Poirier has competed against and observed many of the sport`s greatest talents. This extensive experience positions him uniquely to comment on the perennial `Mount Rushmore` discussion.
Dustin Poirier Includes Former UFC Rival Khabib Nurmagomedov in His MMA Mount Rushmore
During a recent appearance on The Danza Project, ahead of his final fight in New Orleans, Poirier was prompted to share his perspective on this enduring debate.
While various names frequently feature on fighters` and fans` MMA Mount Rushmore lists, `The Diamond` opted for four commonly cited figures, notably including his past adversary, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Poirier stated his top four picks: “Jones, Khabib, St-Pierre, and Anderson Silva.”
Nurmagomedov notably submitted Poirier at UFC 242 in 2019, a defeat that was the first of three unsuccessful bids by the American for the undisputed lightweight championship.
`The Diamond` also offered honorable mentions, among them a legendary fighter from his own weight class.
Poirier added, “I`d need a bigger mountain, honestly, because BJ Penn in his prime… Fedor Emelianenko… there are just so many legends out there. When they were at their peak, it was truly special.”
Dustin Poirier Anticipates a More Permanent Retirement Than Jon Jones`s
Initially, all four fighters mentioned by Poirier were retired. However, Jon Jones has since indicated a change of plans.
Mere weeks after Dana White announced Jones`s retirement, the polarizing Rochester native revealed intentions to return in 2026, following Donald Trump`s suggestion of a UFC event on the White House lawn.
`Bones` recently reaffirmed his desire to compete at that proposed event during a casual interview with TikToker Joy Of Everything.
“While I can`t promise anything definitive, I have a very strong intuition that I`ll be part of that card. I believe it will be historic, comparable in scale to `Thrilla in Manila` or `The Rumble in the Jungle,` possibly even surpassing them.”
He continued, “I`d aim to challenge whoever holds the title by the year`s end. Currently, Tom Aspinall is the champion, but we`ll see who holds the belt by then.”
Jones concluded, “I feel like having an American compete for a championship on that night would be worth putting everything on the line… for now, I`m just focusing on being a good citizen.”
Poirier, conversely, clearly anticipates his retirement will be far more lasting than Jones`s. He has indicated that only an exceptionally improbable fourth title opportunity could sway his decision to retire this Saturday.
