With Dustin Poirier taking aim at Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler, one UFC legend believes the former interim champion’s fire to compete still burns bright.
‘The Diamond’ has claimed he’s unlikely to ever fight again. However, the 35-year-old has yet to officially hang up the gloves, giving fans an element of hope that he might return to the cage for one last dance.
Daniel Cormier believes Dustin Poirier still has what it takes to compete at the top of The UFC
On June 1, at UFC 302, Dustin Poirier took on Islam Makhachev, for lightweight gold in a fight that many thought represented his final stand.
Years of blood, sweat and tears culminated in one moment, where the brawler put it all on the line to finally cement his place as a UFC champion.
While Poirier ultimately fell short, his incredible effort showcased the heart, determination and phenomenal fighting style that has made him so popular during his career.
After the bout, the American flirted with retirement. However, it appears his itch to fight is still unscratched.
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Rather than slowly disappearing from the sport, he’s just as prominently involved in the news cycle as he ever has been, recently trash talking Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor.
Consequently, his fellow Louisianian, Daniel Cormier, has revealed that he believes his friend is a long way from retirement.
In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, the two-division world champion explained: “Dustin Poirier, since saying that he’s thinking about walking away from the sport, has had a tonne to say.
“You could see inside of him that there’s a lot there. The fire still burns inside the diamond. This week, he’s fired shots at Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor.”
Cormier continued: “So, he told Ariel Helwani, this…” The video then cut to the 155-pound star on the MMA Hour, commenting on a reference Chandler made about him holding up their weight class: “He just got here, who’s ‘we’? He’s speaking for the lightweight division? Muscle Milk Mike needs to chill.”
DC added: “You want to fight him? Seems like it. Thought you said you might be ready to walk away from this thing, DP.
“It doesn’t sound like you’re a guy that wants to walk away from this thing, and honestly, if I was advising you, I would say, ‘don’t, you’ve got far too much to give’.
“Dustin Poirier is a dog. He gonna fight anybody. He gonna fight them on the street, too. I think if the McGregor opportunity presents itself, that’s got to happen.”
With the lightweight champion seemingly still invested in the sport, he could well fight on. However, despite the war of words, it won’t be against ‘Iron’.
Inside the Dustin Poirier-Michael Chandler rivalry
Back in November 2022, two of the most entertaining fighters on the planet battled it out in a bout that delivered in abundance.
Alas, rather than displaying respect at the end, the two men clashed in a heated argument, with Poirier, the victor, accusing Chandler of attempting to put his fingers in his mouth.
Over two years later, and the feud is still very much alive, with Poirier taking huge offense to his rival’s comments about his place in the division.
In his interview with the MMA Hour, he added: “Yeah bro (that annoyed me), he’s not one of us. I’ve been cutting my teeth in the UFC since January of 2011 or 2010, he just got here.
“Chandler thinks he’s a bigger draw than he is, I think. No (I wouldn’t fight him again), why? I beat him, he’s beating himself (now), he’s doing a good job of beating himself. He’s wasted two years.”
However, while he’s not keen on jumping back in the cage with his nemesis, he claims Chandler will use his ‘Dana White privilege’ to ensure he’s fine whether he gets to fight McGregor or not.
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