Perhaps it`s for the best that the UFC did not grant one of Dustin Poirier`s heartfelt wishes regarding his upcoming final fight. Poirier`s active fighting career is drawing to a close this Saturday, as he makes his last walk to the Octagon near his Louisiana home before retiring.
For his farewell performance, Poirier will face Max Holloway at UFC 318 for the symbolic BMF title. This bout will mark their third encounter; “The Diamond” has already secured victories in their previous contests in 2012 and 2019. However, even though this fight is a perfect send-off for the fan favorite, it wasn`t the trilogy Poirier originally envisioned.
Dustin Poirier Relieved to Avoid Potentially Damaging Trilogy with Justin Gaethje
In a recent episode of The Danza Project podcast, Poirier shared his thoughts on his final fight at UFC 318 and how it came to fruition. While Dustin succeeded in having his retirement bout held in his home state, which the UFC hadn`t visited in over a decade, not all of his requests were fulfilled.
Poirier had previously expressed his desire to conclude his rivalry with Justin Gaethje. After the Louisianan won their memorable first bout, Gaethje knocked Poirier out at UFC 291, exacting revenge and claiming the BMF title. Although a 1-1 score typically calls for a decisive third fight, Poirier is now content with the current situation, especially after hearing Gaethje`s comments on the matter.
“Originally, when I told them I wanted to retire, I wanted to fight Justin,” Poirier stated. “We`re tied at 1-1. I didn`t want to end my career with such an unresolved score.”
“I was aiming for a decisive bout, for one of us to come out ahead. I wanted to get my payback. I knocked him out, he knocked me out… we were supposed to meet again.”
“When plans for my retirement started taking shape, he was already booked to fight Dan Hooker,” Poirier continued. “I still wanted to fight Justin… but then I saw his interview where he said, `You know what, if Dustin`s okay with it being 1-1, then I`m okay with it too. Let`s shake hands. Our families don`t deserve us to go through another head-on collision.`”
“I had never looked at it from that perspective. I thought, `You know, if he`s okay with it, then I`m okay with it.` When you put it like that, someone is definitely going to get hurt. We`re both not new to this sport, and we`ve had many tough fights under our belts.”
Dustin Poirier Claimed He Could Have Made Featherweight for His Last Fight
Poirier stepped onto the scale for the final time on Friday, successfully making weight for his farewell fight in New Orleans. “The Diamond,” who will conclude his career having never missed weight, stated during the UFC 318 Weigh-In Show that his weight cut was so effortless he could have even reached the limit of his former division.
“This was the easiest weight cut,” Poirier remarked. “I probably could have (gone back to featherweight).”
The Louisianan began his Octagon career at 145 pounds, where losses to Chan Sung Jung and Cub Swanson slowed his planned ascent. Poirier`s defeat to Conor McGregor in 2014 ultimately prompted his move to lightweight, a transition that has undoubtedly proven highly successful for the fan favorite.
