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Dustin Poirier has long been one of the most respected and battle-tested fighters in the UFC. Poirier recently reflected on his career and also gave a hint about his retirement bout in an interview with MMA Fighting.
The 36-year-old discussed how special his interim championship was, the validation it brought, and the ongoing debates about where he stood in the conversation of the history of this sport.
Notably, Poirier secured the interim lightweight title by beating Max Holloway at UFC 236 in 2019. However, he failed to win the undisputed title on three occasions.
Poirier said:
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"My wife tells me I'm a world champion, and I feel like a world champion in that moment. I beat a guy who was the current featherweight champion of the world. He was still the featherweight champion when we fought for the interim belt. It is what it is. I have a gold belt at home that says UFC world champion on it."
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He added:
"Fans can have their opinions and say whatever they want, but I worked my ass off for 18 years to reach that night. I've tried to make it to the pinnacle time and time again. This is a rough game, but it is what it is. I'm a world champion."
Check out 'The Diamond's' comments below: (5:07)
Dustin Poirier backs Michael Chandler to dominate Paddy Pimblett in high-stakes UFC showdown
Dustin Poirier analyzed the exciting co-main event between Paddy Pimblett and Michael Chandler at UFC 314.
Poirier backed Chandler to win the fight and said:
"I don't know, for some reason, I just have a feeling he's going to finish Paddy. And like you said, I enjoy watching him, right? Just our interactions haven't been the best, but I just think Paddy hasn't fought somebody like that in the UFC yet—the power, the grit, but also just the resume of Chandler. You know, he's fought the best of the best for a long time, multiple-time world champion. It's just a huge step up for Paddy, I think, but we'll see."
Check out Dustin Poirier's comments below (3:21):
