Dustin Poirier – If he had won the title at UFC 302, he would have retired

Dustin Poirier lost the UFC lightweight championship to Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 and never got the chance to end the story.

Poirier said he had been contemplating the possibility of retirement after the loss, but “The Diamond” revealed that had his dream of winning an undefeated championship in Newark been realized, he would have retired that night.

“I was planning on putting the belt down with the gloves,” Poirier said Monday during an appearance on “The MMA Hour” with Ariel Helwani, “but this is my story and it happened the way it was meant to happen in my journey. It was already written.”

During an interview with ESPN ahead of UFC 302 in May, Poirier hinted at the idea of ​​retiring as champion if he beat Makhachev.

“It can happen,” he said.

After all, that was the plan all along. Unfortunately for Poirier, he submitted Makhachev via d'Arce choke in the fifth and final round and is currently assessing his future as he recovers from damaged ribs, a broken nose and a partially torn ACL.

Poirier has yet to make a decision about his future, but UFC 302 could be the last time fans see him inside the Octagon.

“I'm looking to get it over with,” Poirier told Helwani, “especially the title fight. How many more fights do I have 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 a chance at a title fight.”

“I find myself in a strange situation and I don't know how to explain it or what decision to make. I'm going to take it one day at a time and see how my heart and feelings change.”