“I’ve given this sport a lot and I think I’ve given it enough,” Dustin Poirier said. And to be exact? A rib, a nose, and an ACL. Thirty-one UFC fights later, ‘The Diamond’ is ready to call it a day. But he’s not going out just anywhere. No, sir. Poirier wants his swan song to be in Louisiana, the place where it all started. “To retire where it all started in Louisiana would be incredible for me and my career.” The only thing missing? A date and an opponent. And that, my friends, is where things get interesting.
So, who’s stepping up for Poirier’s last dance? The Schmo put Michael Chandler on the spot, asking him who he’d pick in a Dustin Poirier- Justin Gaethje trilogy fight. And ‘Iron’ broke it down. “I would say Gaethje’s got a brighter, not necessarily a skill set, but more of a hunger,” he said. “I think Poirier is definitely at that end right, but sometimes at that end, he wants to go out on top.” The former Bellator champion even gives Poirier a better shot in this hypothetical trilogy. But ultimately, he believes “Gaethje would edge in that one.”
MMA: UFC 286 – Gaethje vs Fiziev Mar 18, 2023 London, UNITED KINGDOM Justin Gaethje red gloves fights Rafael Fiziev blue gloves during UFC 286 at O2 Arena. London O2 Arena UNITED KINGDOM.
But here’s the twist. ‘The Highlight’ himself doesn’t seem too eager to complete the trilogy. “I don’t think either one of our families deserve that.” Gaethje admitted after his win at UFC 313. Multiple times. “We’re 1-1, and I’m okay with it if he’s okay with it.” And there it is, not exactly the bloodthirsty Gaethje we know. Even Chael Sonnen was surprised, calling it very “anti-Justin Gaethje.” So if Gaethje isn’t throwing his name in the hat, who is?
Beneil Dariush might have just spilled the beans. Speaking to Submission Radio, he hinted that Poirier vs. Max Holloway 3 is “what I’m hearing.” ‘The Diamond’ already owns two wins over Holloway. But that was then, and this is now. ‘The Blessed’ is the holder of the BMF title. Credits to his picture-perfect knockout of Gaethje at UFC 300. If he’s game for a trilogy, Poirier could ride off into the sunset with one final firefight. But if not Holloway as well, could it be someone from across the pond?
Did Dustin Poirier dismiss the Paddy Pimblett problem too soon?
Wait, so not Gaethje. But what about Paddy Pimblett? Well, he tried. And got shut down. Poirier was clear as day.“It’s legends only, man,” he said while speaking to Jim Rome. Paddy ‘The Baddy’ might be a rising star, but Poirier doesn’t see him as a fitting final opponent. And why? “Nah (I wouldn’t be willing to fight two more fights), I’m done, man. I have 50-something cage fights. Like I said, I still have something to give, there’s a lot of opportunities and some 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 where I want to be home in a regular routine.”
And fair enough, really. Pimblett is coming off his biggest UFC win over King Green, but stepping in against Poirier? That’s a whole different ball game. Anyway. Paddy will be facing Michael Chandler at UFC 314, and if you ask Poirier, he already knows how that one plays out. “I don’t know, for some reason I just have a feeling he’s going to finish Paddy,” Dustin Poirier told MMA Fighting last month. “I just think Paddy hasn’t fought somebody like that in the UFC yet. The power, the grit, but also just the resume of Chandler. Multiple-time world champion. It’s a huge step up for Paddy, I think.”
So, where does that leave us? If Gaethje is out and Pimblett is never in, the breadcrumbs are all leading to Max Holloway. But as ‘The Diamond’ puts it, “we’ll see” how Pimblett vs. Chandler unfolds. Could that shake things up, or is the Holloway trilogy inevitable? What do you think? Who should be his final dance partner? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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