"I'm not gonna be fighting 3 times a year moving forward" - Dustin Poirier reveals he'll be fighting 'less frequent' after UFC 269
Being the undisputed world champion has always been the ultimate goal for Dustin Poirier, who is all set to take on reigning champion Charles Oliveira for the lightweight strap at UFC 269. While 'The Diamond' has previously discussed potential retirement plans, it appears he has no desire to let his fellow lightweights off the hook by hanging his gloves anytime soon.
In a recent conversation with Michael Bisping, Poirier was asked how long he wishes to continue in the sport, assuming he wins his upcoming lightweight championship bout with Charles Oliveira. Here's what Dustin Poirier said:
"I see a lot of fighters try to get every last drop out of there and leave a lot of themselves out there but I don't want to do that. I have been fighting for a long time. I had my first fight at 18 years old so I don't know. I don't think I'm going anywhere. I think I might fight less frequently. I just love fighting, you know, it's who I am. I think win, lose or draw, Saturday night, I'm not gonna be fighting three times a year moving forward."
You can watch Dustin Poirier's full interview with Michael Bisping below:
Dustin Poirier on the perception that Charles Oliveira quits whenever he gets in the face of real adversity
Charles Oliveira has overcome all odds to become the lightweight champion, however, there has been a narrative that the Brazilian withers when faced with adversity. While 'The Diamond' finds it hard to predict whether the reigning champion will make it through the hurdles inside the cage, he’s eager to find out who makes it through the first round in the highly-anticipated showdown at UFC 269.
During the UFC 269 press conference, here's what Dustin Poirier said about the perception that Oliveira quits when faced with a real challenge inside the octagon:
“If it’s in there, we’ll find out. But I can’t bank on that. We’ll see. He showed grit in his last fight against Michael Chandler. He got hurt, almost got finished, came back and knocked the guy out. Your last fight is the one I go off of and he showed championship grit.”
You can watch Dustin Poirier's full press-conference below:
Despite Dustin Poirier heading into the fight with Charles Oliveira as the challenger, he has been considered a heavy favorite over the champion. However, 'The Diamond' isn’t looking past Oliveira in their upcoming bout.