Dustin Poirier (29-8 in MMA), the ex-interim lightweight champion, has acknowledged feeling nervous as he prepares for his return to the Octagon against the highly regarded Benoit Saint-Denis (13-1 in MMA) at UFC 299 this weekend.
He hinted at the possibility of retiring in the near future. Poirier, who currently holds the third spot in the lightweight division rankings, has been out of action since headlining UFC 291 in July of the previous year, where he suffered a devastating defeat to his two-time rival, Justin Gaethje.
In a battle for the symbolic BMF title, Poirier experienced a stunning second-round high-kick knockout loss, marking only his second knockout defeat since moving to the lightweight division in 2015.
Recently, ‘Diamond‘ opened up on his plans to bid adieu to the sport. The 155 lbs. veteran expressed that he has been thinking in that direction as he has got a family and cannot fight forever.
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Is There Anything Left For Dustin Poirier?
In the same interview, Dustin Poirier expressed that when he started his fight career, he always dreamt of being an undisputed champion. However, Poirier has been so close yet so far from an undisputed belt. He has fought many of the greatest fighters of the most competitive division of the sport like Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveria, Max Holloway and more.
Nevertheless, he has not contested in as many title fights as one would like him to. So, is his done with the sport? No. At least that’s what we would like to imagine. While the 35-year-old has much at stake in this bout, there’s also significant potential for gains. Benoit Saint-Denis is becoming an intriguing prospect in the sport and is gaining recognition as a rising star in Europe.
Should Dustin deliver a trademark Poirier performance, he could revive his aspirations of becoming the undisputed UFC champion. Given that it’s a five-round co-main event, we envision Poirier accomplishing just that.
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