Dustin Poirier doesn’t need to retire on a loss.
That’s why “The Diamond” is at the moment working with the promotion to safe his last UFC combat, which may come on the finish of 2024 or maybe early 2025. His most up-to-date look led to a submission defeat to light-weight champion Islam Makhachev.
“The shift must be internally for what the motivation for combating is,” Poirier informed the Anik & Florian podcast. “As a result of if it’s not in regards to the world title, why am I combating? And after the Islam combat, after I bought again house I assumed, ‘Possibly that is it?’ Just a few weeks glided by, accidents began hurting less-and-less, and I used to be like, ‘I’ve bought to do that once more.’ I’ve by no means misplaced two in a row. I can’t go away this sport on a loss.”
Poirier, 35, stands at 30-9 (1 NC) with 13 finishes.
“On the identical time, I need to be one hundred pc in it if I’m going to do it once more, as a result of I don’t need to disrespect the game,” Poirier continued. “I honor these things. I do. I simply need to do it proper and get my hand raised and go away on my phrases with a win. However that’s no assure. I may return on the market and anyone may whip my ass. That’s the factor.”
So who will “The Diamond” combat subsequent?
BetOnline.ag has longtime rival Conor McGregor main the pack at +350, even with “Infamous” (loosely) hooked up to a Michael Chandler combat later this yr. Poirier was first stopped by a featherweight McGregor at UFC 178, then joined the Irishman at light-weight to seize consecutive wins at UFC 257 and UFC 264 in 2021.
Listed here are the present “Who’s subsequent?” odds for Poirier’s subsequent combat:
Conor McGregor 7/2 (+350)Charles Oliveira 4/1Michael Chandler 11/2 (+550)Beneil Dariush 6/1Arman Tsarukyan 7/1Rafael Fiziev 8/1Max Holloway 9/1Renato Moicano 10/1Jalin Turner 12/1Bobby Inexperienced 14/1Rafael Dos Anjos 14/1Dan Hooker 20/1
McGregor broke his leg at UFC 264 and has but to return.
“Do you imagine that your subsequent opponent will come out of this batch of names?” Anik requested. “Nate Diaz, Conor McGregor, Alexander Volkanovski, Justin Gaethje, Max Holloway, Charles Oliveira, and Colby Covington.”
“one hundred pc,” Poirier responded. “For positive. If I do combat once more and after I do combat once more, will probably be positively a kind of guys you simply stated.”
Possibly this daring prediction was proper all alongside?
