Dustin Poirier is conflicted as he tries to make a final decision about his fighting sports future.
Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) made it clear his days as an active fighter may be over when he lost to Islam Makhachev in a title fight at UFC 302 this month in his final attempt at his undefeated championship.
With the result not going his way, Poirier has spent the last nine days since the fight trying to decide what to do next, but he still hasn't found the answer.
“I'm still a long way from the fight, but I don't know yet,” Poirier said Monday on “The MMA Hour” with Ariel Helwani. “I'm kind of looking for clarity. I'm taking it one day at a time, searching myself, but I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen next.”
“I can't say I'll never fight again, but I don't know why. Fighting for what? To be in the fight? I love it. But I've been through some hard times over the years. It has to be for something. And maybe that something will be realized or realised in the coming weeks. But I'm just taking it one day at a time.”
Poirier was submitted in the fifth round and left the fight with a number of injuries, including a broken nose, damaged ribs and a knee injury. He will need surgery on his nose, but overall, Poirier said he thinks he'll be able to start training camp in about eight weeks.
Poirier fought bravely against Makhachev despite being heavily outmatched throughout the bout, given the amount of physical pressure he was facing. And that's part of why Poirier can't completely discount the idea of fighting again at UFC. The 35-year-old understands what's left of his prime could disappear in an instant, and he said he dreads when that time comes.
“The only reason I don't want to retire is because I feel like I can still compete with these guys and I still feel like I'm getting better,” Poirier said. “It's not because I'm slowing down, it's not because of age. My reaction time is still good and I know I can beat these guys. If I were to retire, if I try to come back in a year, it might not be the same. I'm scared of missing out on what I have left. But I don't want to give too much of myself. I want to give more because I know I only have a short time to give my best. But I've been giving myself to this sport for a long time. It's like, where do I draw the line? It's a fight that you have to figure out for yourself. I don't have the answers to a lot of things.”
Poirier revealed that he would have retired with his belt and gloves in the center of the Octagon if he had beaten Makhachev at UFC 302. After the fight, he credited his wife, Jolie, with encouraging him to retire, and at his most honest, he said he was leaning toward following her.
“I'm thinking about calling it a day,” Poirier said. “Especially the title fight. How many more fights do I have to do to get back in position to compete for a world title? I don't know. But like I said, I'm not doing it again. I'm not going to fight five more times to get another title fight. I'm in a strange situation and I don't know how to explain it or what decision to make. I'm just taking it one day at a time and seeing how my feelings change and how my feelings change.”
For more on the card, check out MMA Junkie's UFC 302 event hub.
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