Paddy Pimblett can’t even fathom why Dustin Poirier has announced his plans to retire.
Poirier has been weighing the idea of retirement for a while, and now, after falling short in his third attempt at undisputed lightweight gold against reigning champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 last June, he seems fully committed to calling it a career.
However, “The Diamond” has made it clear he won’t hang up his gloves without a proper send-off. He’s spent the past several months pushing the UFC to grant him a farewell fight in his hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana.
The former UFC interim lightweight champion has shut down any possibility of facing rising contender Pimblett in his farewell fight, declaring that only a fellow “legend” is worthy of his final showdown.
“The Baddy” is now set for a high-stakes showdown against former title challenger Michael Chandler in the co-main event of UFC 314 on April 12, taking place at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.
During a recent conversation with ESPN Deportes, Paddy Pimblett insisted that Dustin Poirier still has plenty left in the tank and shouldn’t even be considering retirement. Moreover, he’s confident that if they ever shared the Octagon, he’d have the upper hand.
“He said something about me the other day didn’t he? Saying it’s legends only and he thinks Chandler will beat me,” Pimblett said. “I think he should have more than one fight (before he retires). He looked good in his last fight. I don’t understand why you’d retire when you look good, but you know, he must be an idiot. I think I beat Dustin Poirier so, I’d love to fight him.”
There’s still no official confirmation on who “The Diamond” will face in his final fight. However, earlier this month, fellow lightweight contender Beneil Dariush speculated that Poirier could run it back with former foe and reigning BMF titleholder Max Holloway.
Poirier and Holloway first met inside the Octagon at UFC 143 in February 2012, where the Louisiana native secured a first-round submission victory in their featherweight clash.
Their paths crossed once again at UFC 236 in April 2019, this time with interim lightweight gold on the line. Poirier secured the victory by unanimous decision.
