There’s a chance that Dustin Poirier may shift his focus away from fighting and solely onto his Louisiana Style Hot Sauce if he is able to capture the UFC lightweight championship.
Dustin Poirier’s dues have long been paid in full. An 11-year-veteran of the WEC/UFC, Poirier has earned every opportunity that’s ever been given to him, most recently with a three-fight win streak that’s cemented him as the #1 contender. Two of those wins have come over MMA’s biggest star, “The Notorious” Conor McGregor, to take home the bragging rights as the trilogy winner to pair well with a huge sum of money.
Looking ahead, there hasn’t been much speculation about who will be next for Poirier: reigning lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. Like Poirier, Oliveira has also had to grind and persevere to get to the position he’s currently in, which is something “The Diamond” can naturally appreciate.
“Oliveira is a very dangerous guy, I think he’s improving more and more in his striking, putting guys down, he’s long especially for that weight class and I think he’s probably the best jiu-jitsu practitioner in the UFC roster right now,” Poirier told Daily Mail.
‘He’s aggressive and very offensive with his jiu-jitsu. He doesn’t just use it to protect himself or get out of bad positions, he attacks people with it and finishes fights with it so he’s a very dangerous opponent who has paid his dues and fought a long time in the UFC.”
All respect aside, Oliveira has something Poirier wants, and it’s the one thing that’s keeping Poirier’s accomplished UFC career from feeling complete.
“For me, being undisputed world champion was the goal from the beginning,” Poirier said. “If I can tick that box, I’ve done it all in the sport of mixed martial arts.”
The phrase “done it all” could be interpreted as an expression that there would be nothing left to prove and that retirement could be next. When asked if he would look to be a dominant champion with multiple defenses or sail off into the sunset should he capture that elusive UFC world title, Poirier provided an even stronger hint that his next moves would only be done outside of the Octagon.
‘We’ll see man,” Poirier said of his post-title plans. “I’ll probably just go and sell hot sauce!’
Do you think these comments reveal that Poirier is truly leaning towards retirement with a world title win?
