Following his recent lightweight title fight loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 302, Dustin Poirier sparked retirement rumors with a social media post and a foray into fight analysis.
Poirier went toe-to-toe with the dominant Makhachev for five rounds before being submitted via D'arce choke in the championship contest. Before the fight, 'The Diamond' had hinted at retirement regardless of the outcome.
After the loss, Poirier expressed uncertainty about his future, but fans' speculation intensified when he posted a reflective tweet following the event. The social media post, accompanied by a fight photo, read:
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"Been toe 2 toe with the best of em, Grateful for the journey."
Further fueling speculation, the UFC announced Poirier would join the analyst desk for the upcoming UFC 303 event. However, the 35-year-old himself quickly took to X to dispel the rumors. He clarified:
"That wasn't a retirement tweet. Im just grateful for the journey, but I'm still unsure about what's next"
Check out Dustin Poirier's post addressing retirement rumors below:
Khabib Nurmagomedov praises Dustin Poirier after UFC 302 clash with Islam Makhachev
Khabib Nurmagomedov commended Dustin Poirier for his performance at UFC 302. Despite losing the main event fight to Islam Makhachev, Poirier's tenacity earned him the respect of 'The Eagle.'
In a clip shared by Championship Rounds from Nurmagomedov's YouTube channel, the retired champion expressed his admiration for Poirier:
"Dustin is a great fighter. I have very big respect for him. I meet his father yesterday, we stay at [the] same hotel...End of the day, this is life. All about respect. All about relationship...First of all, [this sport is] about discipline and respect. And I just want to wish him all the best. Him and all his family, his daughter, his parents, everybody."
Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's appreciation for Dustin Poirier below: