Dustin “Diamond” Poirier hanging up the gloves? Maybe not quite. After some tough losses and rumors of retirement, Poirier seems to have a fight in mind that could bring him back to the Octagon. It’s not a shot at the lightweight title, but a hotly anticipated bout with Nate Diaz.
Remember when they were supposed to fight in 2018? Apparently Poirier is still up for it, even saying he’ll sign the contract “today.” So what’s the delay? Could this fight be the catalyst for Poirier to put off his retirement plans?
Poirier puts the brakes on retirement
Dustin Poirier, known for his tenacity and fighting spirit, shared his thoughts on fighting Nate Diaz, saying, “If it were to happen, I would 100% fight right now and sign the contract today. And Nate knows that, because I’ve done it a few times.”
Despite losing to Islam Makhachev at UFC 302, Poirier isn’t ready to hang up his gloves just yet. He’s considering retirement, but his willingness to fight Diaz shows he still has the passion in him. Poirier revealed on the Anik & Florian Podcast that the fight had come close before, but talks fell through due to a back injury.
Besides Diaz, Poirier has a long list of notable opponents in the running. UFC commentator Jon Anik asked if he thought his next fight would be against any of them, to which Poirier confidently replied, “100 percent. So yeah, if I ever fight again, and I ever fight again, it would definitely be against one of those guys that you mentioned.”
This list includes some of the biggest names in the sport.
Conor McGregor, former UFC two-division champion Alexander Volkanovski, former UFC featherweight champion Justin Gaethje, former “BMF” champion, former UFC interim lightweight champion Max Holloway, former UFC featherweight champion Charles Oliveira, former UFC lightweight champion Colby Covington, former UFC interim welterweight champion
Related article: UFC insider reveals why Nate Diaz is more likely to return than Ronda Rousey
That Poirier is willing to face any of these top fighters shows his enduring passion for the sport. He may be considering retirement, but if the right opportunity arises he may return to the Octagon. Fans are eager to see where Poirier takes his next move.
Poirier’s thoughts on the Diaz fight so far
Just recently, Dustin Poirier spoke to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour about switching over to boxing: “For sure. Just to change the speed, change the training camp, do something different. I’ve been doing MMA for a while now and I love the training camp and I love fighting, but if I just did pure boxing, the training camp would be a lot less taxing on the body. No wrestling, no jiu-jitsu, it’s boxing, running, swimming. I think it would be fun,” Poirier said.
Poirier specifically named Nate Diaz as a possible opponent: “I want to box with Nate. [Diaz]I would box with Nate. [MMA or boxing works for me]but I would rather [fight] “Boxing Nate,” he said.
This fight is highly anticipated, especially after Diaz’s controversial win over Jorge Masvidal in a boxing match, and fans are eager to see if this highly anticipated matchup will finally happen.
Will we ever see “The Diamond” step into the Octagon or boxing ring again?
Related article: Dustin Poirier criticizes Conor McGregor for disrespectful comments about his wife
