5 blockbuster fights for Dustin Poirier before he retires
If Dustin Poirier had defeated Charles Oliveira at UFC 269 he would have had a legitimate case for fighter of the year and would've instantly become one of the hottest commodities in all of the UFC.
Instead, Poirier was submitted in the third round, leaving him in a very different position. While Poirier has won interim lightweight gold, his loss to Oliveira marked the second time 'The Diamond' has failed to win the undisputed UFC title.
Oliveira submits Poirier in the third round to remain the lightweight champion 💪 #UFC269 https://t.co/0Dx3u93A6V
The loss was understandably devastating to Poirier who has sacrificed so much over the years in pursuit of winning the world title. He has mentioned himself in interviews since the fight that there are very few opponents that currently would get him motivated and even hinted he may be considering retirement:
"It's just do I want to? That's the question I have to look in the mirror and answer. Do I want to do go down the road again? That answer will come in next couple days or weeks."
With that being said, it doesn't seem like his loss at UFC 269 needs to necessarily be the end of Poirier's championship pursuits. 'The Diamond' is still only 32, which is relatively young in the fight game, particularly considering Glover Teixeira won his first UFC title this year at 42.
Whether Poirier is able to get back into the UFC title picture again or not, there are certainly a number of potential fights for him that UFC fans would love to see. Here are five blockbuster fights for Dustin Poirier before he retires:
#5. Dustin Poirier vs. Islam Makhachev
Poirier's first undisputed shot came at UFC 242, when he lost via third-round submission to Khabib Nurmagomedov. While Nurmagomedov's retirement ended the possibility of a rematch against 'The Eagle', perhaps getting a measure of revenge against Khabib's current protégé, Islam Makhachev, would interest Poirier.
Poirier views Makhachev as a potentially tough out 👀
(via @ESPNPlus Q&A) https://t.co/HzmRAQ6P5R
Makhachev has been making a name for himself and 2021 saw him become a legitimate contender in the lightweight division as he finished all three of his opponents via submission.
While Makhachev is currently scheduled to fight Beneil Dariush in February, if Makhachev were to lose that bout or another in the future; or if Poirier is able to climb back to the top of the division himself, we may just get a fight between the duo.