Dustin Poirier has revealed he’s still locked in under a UFC contract despite retiring.
Poirier entered the Octagon for the final time back in July 2025. He took on Max Holloway in a trilogy bout in New Orleans. “The Diamond” fell short, losing via unanimous decision. Poirier has since served as an analyst for UFC events, including recent shows on Paramount+.
As is the case with most retired combat sports stars, Poirier has been asked about whether or not he’d consider making a comeback several times. Appearing on “Deep Waters,” Poirier claimed that he’s still tied down to his UFC deal. (via MMAJunkie).
“Man, I still have fights left in my contract with the UFC,” Poirier said. “I’m stuck in purgatory, so I can’t go out and do nothing. And if I could, I don’t even know if I would, but boxing has always been something I wanted to do.”
Poirier tried convincing the UFC brass to have a Zuffa Boxing match with Nate Diaz. The request was denied, as TKO is pushing for its boxing promotion to become a major player rather than a place for sideshow fights.
“Bro, I’ve been down this road before,” Poirier said. “They don’t want any crossover. No. They want to be taken seriously. Plus, if they let one guy do it, every guy and girl on the roster is going to try to do this.”
Several fighters were able to walk free from their UFC deals after ending their retirements. In most cases, the promotion simply didn’t have interest in bringing the athlete back. With Poirier, that may not be the case as he still has name recognition.
Do you think Dustin Poirier should ditch the thought of boxing and stay retired from combat sports to focus on his work as an analyst? Share your opinion in the comments below.