Dustin Poirier is a little over three months removed from his final UFC fight, a UFC 318 loss to Max Holloway in their trilogy fight in Poirier’s home state of Lousiana.
After a long and illustrious MMA career, which included 14 years inside the Octagon, Poirier fell only a few fights short of reaching his ultimate goal: winning the undisputed UFC Lightweight Championship.
With time to reflect on his career, Poirier has been vocal about dealing with retirement. He previously told a fan, when responding to select questions on “X” (formerly Twitter), how much he misses competing. He was able to further expand upon his remarks during an exclusive interview with MMA Knockout’s Zain Bando.
Mar 9, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Dustin Poirier reacts after knocking out Benoit Saint Denis during UFC 299 at Kayesa Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
“It has been more difficult than I thought it was going to be,” Poirier said regarding retirement. “But I definitely have been staying super busy, keeping my mind busy, traveling a lot. But nothing is ever going to fill that void of what fighting was in my life.”
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Poirier has transitioned to analytical work for the UFC in a desk role during pay-per-view events. It’s a position he says he wants to keep when the promotion transitions to Paramount Plus next year.
“If I can keep doing these analyst gigs and stay on the desk and keep talking about the sport [of MMA] that has given me everything, given my family safety…my whole life has been dedicated to this since I was 17 years old. I would love to stay connected to it somehow.”
Regarding how Poirier sees his post-fighting career playing out from a commentary standpoint, he says he is open to all possibilities.
Mar 9, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Benoit Saint Denis (blue gloves) fights Dustin Poirier (red gloves) during UFC 299 at Kayesa Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
“Whether that’s in the booth doing analyst work, breaking down fights, or whatever the UFC sees that I fit well in,” Poirier said. “I want to stay connected to this sport and the fans and the fighters.”
A shift that has stuck out to him thus far was in April when the UFC headed back to Miami for UFC 314, which saw Alexander Volkanovski regain his UFC Featherweight Championship against Diego Lopes.
“To see Volk get his belt back and beat the odds, I was really happy for him, man,” Poirier said.
Nonetheless, expect Poirier to stay busy, even if it means no longer competing in the UFC, while remaining a fixture in the MMA community in a far different capacity.
Poirier added he looks forward to UFC 322 Nov. 15, as he’ll get a live look at former opponent Islam Makhachev as he tries to win the UFC Welterweight Championship.
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