Dustin Poirier returns at UFC 299 to face a surging contender in Benoit Saint-Denis. Being around the sport of mixed martial arts for a long time, Poirier has now hinted at retirement. For over a decade, Poirier has fought some of the best fighters, such as Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Justin Gaethje, among others.
In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Dustin Poirier spoke about his retirement plans. ‘Diamond’ felt the time to hang up the gloves was around the corner. At 35 years old, he felt any fight from now could be his last. Here is what Poirier said:
Every fight could be (my last), every fight. Where I’m at 35 years old, this is my thirtieth fight in the UFC. Every fight could be it.
Dustinm Poirier (via TMZ Sports)
Dustin Poirier has had an illustrious career in the UFC despite not claiming the undisputed UFC gold. However, he has earned the interim title and has challenged for the undisputed title twice. Nonetheless, ‘Diamond’ always puts on a violent showcase for the fans, becoming a fan favorite. As such, even if his fight with Benoit Saint-Denis was his last one, Poirier has solidified his status as one of the best in the UFC.
Dustin Poirier’s dreams of fighting for the lightweight title crashed in his last fight. He lost to Justin Gaethje at UFC 291 via knockout. Now, after contemplating his career situation, ‘The Diamond’ will fight the up-and-coming prospect Benoit Saint-Denis. As such, UFC 299 could potentially decide Poirier’s career.
Related: “There’s a lot of slimy people,” Dustin Poirier reminisces when MMA used to be ‘for the dawgs’; reacts to UFC becoming mainstream[/related_contnet]Dustin Poirier speaks about his reason for accepting a fight with Benoit Saint-Denis
Before the UFC announced Dustin Poirier’s fight with Benoit Saint-Denis, many critiqued him for not fighting any of the young prospects. It came as a result of ‘The Diamond’ only taking fights with equally accomplished fighters. Now, Poirier revealed his reasons for accepting the fight.
Dustin Poirier stated he wanted to test himself against a fighter who’d leave it all in the octagon and thus accepted fighting Benoit Sain-Denis. As such, he praised the Frenchman for his five-fight finish streak and fighting style. Here is what Poirier said:
To test myself, really. To see if I still got it. This guy's young, hungry. You know, on a streak, finished his last five opponents. That, you know, makes me nervous, so I want to toss myself in the fire. That's where I feel like I do my best work and those are the kind of fighters I want to fight... Guys who are leaving it all out there, showing grit. They fight for finishes. That's the kind of fight I want to be involved in.Dustin Poirier (via TMZ Sports)
Even earlier, Dustin Poirier stated he only wanted to face the fighters who inculcated a sense of danger. As such, he chose Benoit Saint-Denis as his dance partner despite the Frenchman being ranked lower. As such, they fight in the co-main event of UFC 299 at the Kaseya Center in Miami. Coming off a knockout loss to Justin Gaethje, Poirier wanted to turn the tables back.
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