“I just want to go out the right way. On my terms.” That’s what Dustin Poirier said last month. Simple, right? Well, not in the MMA world, where nothing is ever simple. So, what exactly are his terms? One thing is set in stone. He wants his last dance in Louisiana, the place where it all began. But who gets the golden ticket to send ‘The Diamond’ into retirement? And does Poirier have a score to settle before he bows out?
Enter Chael Sonnen, the human megaphone of MMA. On his YouTube show, Beyond the Fight, Sonnen casually dropped what might be the biggest spoiler in UFC matchmaking. “Dustin Poirier plans to fight one more time,” Sonnen said, like he was announcing next week’s weather.
But here’s the juicy part. He claims the fight is already locked in. “Justin Gaethje coming out now and saying ‘Dustin and I are 1 and 1. I can live with that, and I hope he can.’ It’s an honorable move,” Sonnen noted, almost in admiration because it’s very “anti Justin Gaethje“. “Justin could have put his finger in Dustin’s chest, knowing behind the scenes Dustin’s already got business going with Max.”
Wait, hold up. So Gaethje vs. Poirier 3? That’s a no-go? Instead, we’re getting Poirier vs. Max Holloway for the BMF belt? According to Sonnen, absolutely. “There’s just no room left. All we need for this to be official is a response from Poirier. He can send me a text message. We’ll do it right here.” Because, of course, nothing in MMA is official until Sonnen says it is. Classic, turning his show into an unofficial contract-signing venue.
And if that wasn’t enough, Beneil Dariush just stirred the pot even more. Speaking to Submission Radio, he hinted that Poirier vs. Holloway 3 is “what I’m hearing.”
Now, if true, this is huge. Poirier already has two wins over Holloway. Once, when the Hawaiian was a fresh-faced UFC rookie in 2012, bagging the submission of the night. And again in 2019 in a five-round war for the interim lightweight title. But that was ages ago. Holloway isn’t the same fighter. He’s still got the BMF belt (thanks to that beautiful knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300). And if he’s game for a trilogy, Poirier could ride off into the sunset with one final firefight. And just when you thought the lightweight division couldn’t get any crazier, here we are, another layer of chaos added to the madness.
Does Dustin Poirier’s last dance pour more gas on the lightweight fire?
Now, just when you thought this was an open-and-shut case, here comes Paddy Pimblett. The Scouser, never one to shy away from a hot take, is gearing up for his biggest test yet against Michael Chandler at UFC 314. But his real target? Poirier. “Well, he said something about me the other day, didn’t he?” Pimblett told ESPN. “Saying that it’s legends only, and said he thinks Chandler will beat me.”
Pimblett, ever the diplomat, fired back with. “I think he should have more than one fight. He looked good in his last fight. I don’t understand why you’d retire when you look good, but he must be an idiot.” Ah yes, the classic compliment-insult combo. And if he beats Chandler? “I think I beat Dustin Poirier, so I’d love to fight him.” Look, ‘The Baddy’ is confident, but he’s not exactly first in line. Poirier wants legacy, not a Twitter war. And if Pimblett beats Chandler in April? Suddenly, his name might carry a lot more weight in the lightweight title picture.
But let’s cut through the noise. Poirier isn’t fighting just for the sake of it. If he had beaten Islam Makhachev at UFC 302, he would’ve retired that night. This isn’t about clinging to relevance. It’s about going out on his own terms, in front of his people, in Louisiana. As for Max Holloway? If he beats Poirier, that’s two top-five lightweights under his belt. Suddenly, the UFC might just have to consider him for a title shot. And his last fight ended with him getting KO’d by Ilia Topuria. What better way to remind everyone he’s still Blessed than by stopping ‘The Diamond’?
So, what’s next? Do we finally get the long-awaited Holloway-Poirier 3? Does Paddy somehow sneak his way into this? Or does the UFC throw a curveball and match Poirier up with someone completely out of left field? Now, the only thing missing? His official confirmation. And as Sonnen said, “He can leave a response in the comment section right here.” So, Dustin, are we doing this or what? Anyhow, what do you think? Let us know in the comments below!
The post UFC Rumors: Veteran Causes Stir for Dustin Poirier’s Retirement Fight Following Justin Gaethje’s True Intentions appeared first on EssentiallySports.