Following his fifth-round submission loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 302, Dustin Poirier admitted that this may be his final career fight. While he has yet to make a definite decision, veteran UFC analyst and friend Alain Jouban is hopeful that Poirier will eventually retire.
Even before he lost his third attempt at UFC undefeated title, Poirier acknowledged the end may be near, with just one more thing on the list for the 35-year-old Louisiana native who has faced a ton of opponents and accomplished so much in the sport.
With his failure to capture the inevitable UFC title, Poirier could potentially return for one last fight, but Jovan explains that the way he lost to Makhachev would actually be the perfect exit for the fan-favorite fighter.
“I haven't spoken to him since the fight. I want him to go away,” Juban said in the latest episode. Fighter versus writer. “I would tell him to go away. I think it's been bothering him for a while. I've been talking to him for three years since I got home. [in Louisiana]He brings it up. He goes out there saying, “I don't know how many more fights I can do,” and he knocks somebody out “one more time.” If he loses, it's “I can't take this loss.” If he wins, it's “Let's see what happens.” A title fight comes along, and he can't turn it down, but he's already got the money. People are chasing the belt or they're chasing Conor McGregor, and he's done both.
“He says it over and over again, but what do I have left? He lost a fight that should have given people even more respect for him. It was a tough fight against the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He picked Dustin because he thought he would be an easy opponent stylistically. Dustin put him in a tougher position in the fight against Islam than he'd ever been in his life. I think it's a loss he can hold his head high. It's a loss he can walk away from easily.”
Poirier said at the UFC 302 post-fight press conference that a win over Makhachev would almost certainly mark the end of his career because it would mean he would have accomplished everything he set out to do when he first became a mixed martial artist.
Although not winning the title hurts, Poirier knows a fourth shot at UFC gold is all but impossible at this stage of his career, and if that's no longer the goal, he's not sure what the point really is in continuing any further.
Juban believes Poirier has no reason to hang his head in defeat because he pushed Makhachev into a corner and lost by submission in Round 5. It may not be the fairytale ending Poirier was hoping for, but Juban understands how rare it actually is in this sport.
“I was really approaching this fight with a bang. How can I recreate that fight?” Jovan said. “To go through that fight again and be like, OK, who do I fight next? Who's ranked No. 5, No. 6, No. 7? Can I get that same feeling I got fighting with the whole world watching and the whole world singing my praises? I don't think he'll ever get to experience that feeling again.”
“I told him before that if he could come out with a win, he'd feel a lot better. When he lost at BMF, [title fight] To [Justin] Gaethje, it has eaten away at him for a living. He cleansed his soul with Benoit St. Denis and when he lost to Islam, I think his soul remains cleansed because of his performance. I think he fought like a champion. Islam was just the better man that night. Take your hat off and carry on doing whatever else you're doing in your career so he retires, not the sport retires him. [from the sport]. “
That last statement played a big role in Poirier's decision on whether or not he would fight again.
While he remains one of the best lightweight fighters in the world, there are plenty of examples of championship-caliber fighters who have refused to retire and gone on long losing streaks that have left them a shadow of their former selves.
The difference in this case is that Djuban knows there would be no embarrassment in losing to a fighter like Makhachev, especially given Poirier's performance on Saturday night.
“He got submitted, but so what?” Jovan said. “I get submitted every day in the gym. I go into fights like that all the time. It's no big deal. He's not injured. I heard he might be injured. He might have a bad knee. I really hope that's not the case. It would make it more difficult to retire. There are issues with him, a broken nose and stuff, but just talking about the fight, not injuries or anything, that's the way I want to finish the fight.
“It seemed like everyone in the arena was cheering for him. All the celebrities loved Dustin. They were taking video after video. There was an aura that the underdog was going to win tonight. Everyone was rooting for the underdog.”
Poirier may have to live with the disappointment that he wasn't the undisputed champion, but Juban doesn't think that will really affect his legacy to his fellow fighters or the fans.
Rather, Juban believes Poirier should be welcomed into the champion's seat because, unlike many past UFC fighters who just won the belt by chance, he took the hard road.
“I'm not thinking of anyone in particular, but obviously there's a lot of champions out there and some of them have beaten weaker opponents that Dustin has faced so many times before without even getting a chance to fight for the title,” Jovan said. “The belt isn't necessarily in a prestigious category. It should be honored and respected, but the guys that Dustin has faced throughout his career have been killers. I think he deserves a seat at that table. I think he's earned it.”
“Your favorite fighter's favorite fighter: Dustin Poirier. If the best fighters in the world love watching you fight, that says something.”
