Dustin Poirier has said that he wants to continue fighting win-or-lose against Charles Oliveira at UFC 269, but strength and conditioning coach Phil Daru ‘wouldn’t be mad’ if he retired.
Poirier does want to fight less frequently and Daru can understand why. The Florida-based coach says Poirier has nothing more to prove and hinted that he is underpaid by the UFC.
“That’s really up to him. Obviously, he has put a lot of time and effort into this sport, I wouldn’t be mad at him if he stepped away,” Daru said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com about Poirier potentially retiring. “Got the title and rode into the sunset in a sense. I think for me, I’d like him to defend his title and maybe go up to 170. The 170 thing is he doesn’t have to worry about the weight cut or bringing down calories for energy purposes. That will be a better look for him overall but there are some big guys at 170 and he knows that. He definitely still wants to prove himself at 155 to win this title and solidify his legacy.”
“Definitely not looking past Oliveira,” he added. “At the end of the day, whatever he decides to do, we have hinted here and there, but I mean, he doesn’t need to fight as he has said before. He makes a lot of money, makes good money, maybe not as much as he should in my opinion,” Daru concluded about Poirier. It’s really up to him at the end of the day. I think he doesn’t have anything more to prove, especially if he wins this title. But, I’m with him no matter what.”
Poirier will challenge Oliveira for the lightweight title in tonight’s UFC 269 main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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