One former UFC fighter says the failure to win an undisputed title doesn’t eliminate Dustin Poirier from every GOAT discussion.
Poirier’s career in mixed martial arts will come to an end on July 19, when he makes the walk for one last Octagon appearance almost two decades after his first professional fight.
Just over a year on from his final title challenge, Poirier will retire at UFC 318, the main event of which will feature his battle with Max Holloway in a trilogy fight for the Hawaiian’s symbolic BMF title.
At this point in his career, ‘The Diamond’ is no longer fighting for a place in the lightweight division’s greatest-of-all-time debate and will retire without winning the undisputed gold.
But he does have another chance to prove that he’s the UFC GOAT in another area…
Matt Brown says Dustin Poirier could be the GOAT in ‘warrior’ mentality
During a recent episode of MMA Fighting’s The Fighter vs. The Writer, former UFC fighter Matt Brown reflected on Poirier’s career ahead of his farewell in New Orleans.
While ‘The Immortal’ believes the lack of an undisputed title disqualifies ‘The Diamond’ from rivaling the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev in the overall GOAT debate at 155 pounds, he thinks the Louisianan might top a different category.
“I’d love to see him up there (in GOAT talk) but we all have our journeys,” Brown said. “There’s thousands and thousands of fighters out there — they can’t all be No. 1. A lot of them are really good people but they can’t all be No. 1. That’s (not winning the title) definitely the hold back for Dustin unfortunately.
“It’s not tearing him down, it’s just the objective truth. I mean I know the way I’m going to remember him is not necessarily as one of the greatest, definitely great. Not one of the greatest. In terms of warriors and warrior mentality, I think he is absolutely one of the greatest of all-time in that.
“He’s probably got to be in the top five when you talk about guys willing to fight through anything and keep coming back,” Brown continued. “I think that’s a lot of what I’m known for, and I put him above me in that regard. I think he’s one of the top five maybe in history of just warriors.”
Dustin Poirier unfazed by failure to win an undisputed UFC title
Missing out on occupying the undisputed lightweight throne may go down as the one achievement absent from his UFC résumé and mark the failure that eliminates him from GOAT talk, but Poirier is not dwelling on it.
During a recent interview with the New York Post, ‘The Diamond’ acknowledged the disappointment of not becoming champion but said that is simply part of his story on MMA’s biggest stage.
“I did everything I could to become undisputed champ,” Poirier said. “I put myself in position multiple times to get my hand raised and win that belt in the UFC and just fell short.
“Just got beat by really good guys, made mistakes, and it is what it is. That’s life; that’s my story,” Poirier added.