Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier hopes that this past weekend's event didn't mark the end for Dustin Poirier.
In the headliner of Saturday's UFC 302 pay-per-view event at Newark's Prudential Center, Poirier fell short of ticking the final box in his career. In competition for the undisputed lightweight crown, "The Diamond" was submitted by Islam Makhachev.
The result marked Poirier's third failed attempt at reaching the 155-pound mountaintop, with the former interim champ previously suffering defeats to both Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira with gold on the line.
Ahead of the June 1 card in New Jersey, the Louisianan noted that retirement could follow regardless of the result. That appears to still be the case, with Poirier telling Joe Rogan inside the Octagon post-fight that his career could well be at its conclusion.
But after seeing how competitively he performed as a massive underdog at UFC 302, one former fighter hopes to see "The Diamond" continue throwing down...
Cormier Tells Poirier: There's Still Money To Be Made, Big Fights To Be Had
During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Cormier provided his immediate thoughts on UFC 302 while still sat cageside following the end of the PPV card.
Despite Poirier admitting that the event could have marked his last outing inside the cage, "DC" hopes to see the Louisianan fan favorite continue in the form of big-name fights, even if it means he makes the walk less often.
If Dustin Poirier's leaving this game, he leaves us with a ton of memories," Cormier said. "I don't want to see him go. I don't know that he should go. I think that what Dustin Poirier should do is take the big fights. He's such an attraction now in the world of fighting that he's got a lot of money to be made, but also a lot of big fights to be had.
"He's only 35 years old. He can do this for a long time. Maybe don't fight as frequently, but continue to make that walk," Cormier continued. "Because once you're done, you're done and you can't come back from it. Sometimes that sucks, especially for a guy that seemingly has a lot of years ahead of him.
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Poirier.
He's previously been left in a similar limbo in the aftermath of his failed title bid opposite Oliveira in 2021. "The Diamond" initially suggested that only fun fights would bring him back before ultimately embarking on another run toward the belt.
Time will tell whether or not the coming months will see Poirier change his stance or commit to a departure from active competition on the back of a valiant performance in Newark.