Dustin Poirier will retire from MMA at UFC 318, but could he be set to follow the likes of Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal over to the ring?
Poirier’s submission loss to Islam Makhachev last year initially looked like it would mark his farewell, but ‘The Diamond’ took time to assess his situation before committing to one more outing.
And he has had his wish to fight close to home in Louisiana granted, with Poirier headlining UFC 318 against Max Holloway in competition for the Hawaiian’s symbolic BMF title.
As Poirier gears up to add one final accolade to his MMA résumé, talk of a possible future in combat sports away from the cage recently emerged.
READ MORE: Dustin Poirier perfectly predicted his Conor McGregor rematches after making a common mistake against the Irishman
Dustin Poirier shuts the door on future exhibition match with ‘bigger’ Jake PaulDuring a recent appearance on The Danza Project podcast, Poirier addressed whether a post-UFC career in the crossover boxing realm is on the table.
Specifically discussing Jake Paul, ‘The Diamond’ explained why he would likely not be willing to join Tyron Woodley, Ben Askren, and Nate Diaz on the list of MMA veterans who have boxed the YouTuber-turned-boxer.
“I don’t know,” Poirier said when asked if he would box Paul.
“You know, respect to everything he’s built. He is really out there training hard, fighting hard, going against the grain and doing it his way. I respect the business part of what he’s doing, and the fighting part.
“But I’ve been around Jake a couple times, he’s a lot bigger than me, by a good bit,” Poirier added. “When I retire, I wanna retire. I don’t wanna come back for a sideshow payday-type of fight. So I don’t think so, man.”
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Jake Paul sent Dustin Poirier a gift after shock Conor McGregor knockoutIf such a boxing match were to come to fruition, it would likely be fought in good spirits with a friendly build-up.
Poirier has not been among the sizable group of detractors in the MMA world who have frequently taken aim at Paul’s journey in the boxing ring. Instead, ‘The Diamond’ has shown respect to the polarizing ex-Disney star, and he was even once the recipient of a gift from ‘The Problem Child’.
Paul sent Poirier a gift after UFC 257, where the lightweight veteran starched Conor McGregor in brutal fashion. The YouTuber-turned-boxer had a $100,000 chain made featuring a figurine of the Irishman in the aftermath of his first knockout loss.
“Crazy press week but finally got time to get to a FedEx to ship this to Dustin,” Paul wrote on X. “It’s on the way @DustinPoirier (diamond emoji)”
