Jon Jones gives surprised reaction to Dustin Poirier's retirement plans after UFC 302
Jon Jones is seemingly surprised to hear that Dustin Poirier is considering retirement after his next MMA bout. Poirier, a former interim UFC lightweight champion, recently hinted at hanging up the gloves after his upcoming title shot.
Poirier is scheduled to face reigning undisputed UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev for the latter's title at UFC 302 on June 1. It'll mark his third shot at the undisputed lightweight title after he failed to capture it against Khabib Nurmagomedov (Sep. 2019) and Charles Oliveira (Dec. 2021).
Speaking to CBS Sports' Shakiel Mahjouri, 'The Diamond' explained that he's been competing in MMA for a long time and isn't interested in climbing the ladder again.
Poirier opined that MMA is a very selfish sport, alluding that fighters often sacrifice family time and devote it to training and competition. The 35-year-old asserted that he aims to serve as a husband and father at home and get into a routine. 'The Diamond' believes that he can continue competing but feels the Makhachev fight, irrespective of its outcome, could be his last. He stated:
"I'm not sure, man. This could be the last one... I'm still on the fence, win or lose. I just want to be content with my career."
In the same vein, there's been speculation concerning the MMA future of former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Jones ended his three-year MMA hiatus and made his heavyweight divisional debut at UFC 285 last March. He bested Ciryl Gane via first-round submission to capture the vacant UFC heavyweight title.
Jones was expected to defend it against fellow MMA great Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 in Nov. 2023 but was sidelined by a pectoral injury. He has since undergone elbow surgery as well and is expected to take on Stipe Miocic later this year.
'Bones' has now addressed Poirier's remarks about potentially retiring after UFC 302. Alongside a mind-blown emoji, Jones tweeted:
"Wait a minute, did he say he's considering retiring after his next fight!?"
Dustin Poirier had discussed retirement heading into his most recent UFC fight
Dustin Poirier's most recent octagon appearance saw him defeat France's Benoit Saint Denis via second-round KO in a back-and-forth war at UFC 299 in March. Heading into that showdown, Poirier spoke to ESPN MMA's Brett Okamoto and implied that his retirement was inevitable and fast approaching.
'The Diamond' explained that he loses an irretrievable piece of his being every time he enters the octagon. The Louisianian seemed to suggest that he can't love fighting or anything else to the extent that it takes away from what's most important to him: his family.
Poirier highlighted that fighting is simply something he does but isn't more significant than his loved ones. Poirier said:
"I know [the end] is coming. I can't do this forever... I have a family to be there for."
Check out Dustin Poirier's comments below: