UFC legend Daniel Cormier explains why he ‘hates’ Dustin Poirier talking about hanging up the gloves ahead of such an enormous fight at UFC 302.
UFC veteran Dustin Poirier returns to action this weekend to take on champion Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title and even if all goes to plan, the fight could be the last time we see ‘The Diamond’ in the octagon.
Dustin Poirier considering retirement regardless of UFC 302 result
Speaking to CBS Sports ahead of his upcoming title fight at UFC 302 this weekend, Dustin Poirier revealed that he’s considering retiring from the sport of MMA regardless of the result against Makhachev.
“I wouldn’t say I can’t do it [climb the ladder] again. I can do it again. It’s just – this is it for me… I’m not sure, man [if this could be it]. This could be the last one… I’m still on the fence, win or lose. I just want to be content with my career.”
Whilst Poirier’s comments have been met with widespread support from the MMA community, one legend who certainly wasn’t happy to hear ‘The Diamond’ discussing his exit was former double champion Daniel Cormier.
Daniel Cormier ‘hates’ that Poirier has discussed career end ahead of UFC 302
Speaking via his official YouTube channel, Cormier shared that he “hates” to hear Poirier “speaking about this almost being his last dance” at UFC 302.
“I honestly cannot stand that; I can’t stand hearing that it’s almost over for a guy that we all universally love and enjoy when he’s inside the octagon.”
“I also hate it for another reason: I hate it for the idea that it could be almost over, and he recognizes that.”
Cormier explained that the reason why he loathes such retirement talk, so close to a world title fight, is because it reminds him of the same mentality he had, heading into his own title fight against Stipe Miocic in 2020.
“Because I did it myself so I’m almost judging myself, [but] I don’t love it when athletes put a timeline or a finishing point on a career that is still actively going on… He may be different to me, but I know what it did to me at the end of my career.”
“I don’t love that there are so many references to ‘my last dance’, it’s like if you have any desire to fight, you’ve got to be so in the fight that there is no thought as to what comes next – I don’t love that.”
The former double champion then noted that the key issue with Poirier talking about retirement just a few days out from June 1, is that retirement then “becomes the story of the fight.”
“That is a hard thing to do because I’ll tell you this right now, the life after the fight while it may be hard to adjust to initially, when you look at it from the inside when everything’s so tough and you’re fighting one of the most dangerous people in the world, the other side seems very nice.”
“When you start looking to the other side, when you’re looking to a time where you don’t have to get up every morning and run seven miles, spar, grapple, and wrestle – it really does open up a world that the active fighter should never really think about.”
Khabib Nurmagomedov celebrates his former foe’s legacy
Regardless of how the title fight on June 1 plays out, Poirier has undoubtedly already secured his place in the UFC Hall of Fame thanks to both his sensational fighting career, and his charitable work with The Good Fight Foundation.
Poirier’s iconic resume of wins in the UFC has also been the subject of celebration by former opponent and one of the greatest MMA athletes of all time, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
In the latest episode of his UFC 302 Fight Camp series, Nurmagomedov noted that “Many people underestimate Dustin Poirier,” but that neither Makhachev nor ‘The Eagle’ are falling into that trap:
“I personally fought him, spent three rounds and over 10 minutes with him, and I have a good sense of his strengths and weaknesses. We are working hard on these aspects… Dustin Poirier is very experienced.”
“He’s been in many battles already. Yes, he has lost, but he also has many victories in the UFC, more than 22 or 23 wins. Using our slang, he is a seasoned warrior. You can’t take him lightly.”
UFC 302, headlined by Dustin Poirier vs Islam Makhachev, goes down from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on June 1.