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‘He Can Beat Everybody’: Islam Makhachev Urges Dustin Poirier to Not Retire After UFC 302 Regardless of Outcome
Islam Makhachev has urged Dustin Poirier not to retire regardless of a win or loss at UFC 302. Read on for more details.
Islam Makhachev thinks Dustin Poirier shouldn’t retire regardless of UFC 302 fight’s outcome. Poirier is set to take on Makhachev for the lightweight title. This will be Poirier’s third shot at the undisputed title.
He has previously lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 and Charles Oliveira at UFC 269. Poirier has claimed he is not willing to climb the ladder again. He has hinted about hanging up the gloves regardless of the Mkhachev fight’s outcome.
Islam Makhachev claims Dustin Poirier is still in the top-five
Islam Makhachev reckons Dustin Poirier is still a dangerous fighter. While The Diamond is 35, Makhachev thinks Poirier can beat most of the top contenders. Hence, the Dagestani wants the former interim lightweight champion to continue.
Makhachev was recently asked about Poirier’s hints of retiring. He told First Sportz, “He’s old. He’s talking about retirement, but I don’t want him (to) retire after this fight if I beat him, because this guy is dangerous. He can beat everybody; he’s number, like, top five in the world, you know? That’s why I don’t think it’s a good idea for him (to talk) about retiring because he’s still a very dangerous guy.”
For lighter weight classes, 35 is often considered the age when fighters start to decline. Poirier, though, has proven he is still a crafty knockout artist. Poirier knocked out Benoit Saint-Denis in his last fight at UFC 299. The performance proved that the lightweight mainstay isn’t ready to give up his spot to the new wave of talents.
However, Poirier has yet to touch the undisputed title in his career. A potential loss to Makhachev would mark his third unsuccessful attempt. Considering his age, working his way back up to another title shot could be an exhausting prospect for the Louisiana native.
Dustin Poirier discusses what could make him continue post Islam Makhachev fight
Dustin Poirier has claimed that he’s in a spot where he doesn’t need to fight anymore. The Diamond is a former interim champion. He has also headlined several PPV cards. Poirier’s rivalry with Conor McGregor has settled him financially.
Hence, money is not the primary motive for Poirier anymore. Ahead of the Islam Makhachev fight, Poirier claimed he’d need something more appealing to continue inside the octagon.
He told The Sportsrus, “Even before this last fight [UFC 299], I was in a spot where I didn’t have to fight anymore. So that’s what it has to be for me to step in there. It has to be more than just a fight.”
Poirier, though, is currently focused on beating Makhachev. The consensus is that he’s the better striker. Makhaachev, however, is no slouch in the stand-up. That said, it’s the grappling department where the Dagestani holds the clear edge. It’s an intriguing stylistic match-up and fans are buzzed to see how the championship headliner goes down this weekend.
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