There is no doubt: Dustin Poirier is still in his game. Even at the age of 36, he was still the most dangerous fighter in the UFC, standing both on the mat and on the mat. In recent years, he has won the victory of Conor McGregor, Michael Chandler and Benoît Saint Denis.
So, despite finishing sixth in Max Holloway in New Orleans at UFC 318 on Saturday, is he planning to take off his gloves forever?
It all comes down to family.
“My wife and I have been together for a long time before the fight, so she has been on the whole journey,” Poirier told NBC News last week. “She has been asking me to stop fighting for a long time, and so is my daughter.”
After 30 victories in 40 games, the resume consists mainly of a full-time war that makes him a fan favorite, and Poirier follows their advice. The native of Lafayette, Louisiana, will step out in front of his hometown crowd and compete for the finale, ending the legendary career.
Poirier said his long-term health is a major factor.
“In the long run, I want to be there for my family,” he said. “I want to watch my daughter get married, always physically, not just physically, but mentally. I want to leave with my ability. It's not good for you. Being kicked, kneeling and hitting on the head for 18 years isn't good for you.”
Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway in the 2019 interim lightweight championship game in Atlanta.Josh Hedges/Zuffa/Getty Image Files
Poirier said he formally reached a decision after his last battle with Islamic Mark Khachev in June 2024. In that game, he was the loss of the fifth round, and he suffered his third defeat in the championship game. Previously, he fell to Charles Oliveira and Khabib Nurmagomedov respectively on the belt. UFC usually only gives you so many shots on the title.
He said he might need another winning streak to re-compete, and at his age, his body has worn off since he started fighting when he was 17, which doesn't seem to happen anytime soon.
The title distinguished from the promotion's “BMF” belt on Saturday facing Holloway's UFC (“Worst Mother” ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
This will be the perfect ending for one of UFC's longest careers.
Poirier stressed how important it is to get rid of the sport before it takes him away. Over the years, too many fighter jets have fallen from their skills and athletic ability and have suffered life-changing injuries.
He said he still feels good enough to compete at a high level, which is why it’s hard to leave now.
“I wasn't forced,” he said. “I chose to go away, which is very important to me.”
Unlike most fighters, Poirier speaks out to prevent neurological problems. He told NBC News before the fight between Makhachev that he was debating retirement, partly “caring for my brain health.”
A year later, it remains the most important.
“This is not what I thought of when I was a little kid in my 20s or 20s,” he said this week. “It's the age I'm in this sport and I'm starting to realize things, notice things and do research, just grow up and realize it's not good for you. I'm not saying don't say don't say don't [become a fighter]. I just said to take care of myself. ”
Poirier changed some of his habits to help in this area. Now he consumes healthy fats, fish oil and turmeric, uses creatine, uses high pressure chambers, and is limitedly intense before fighting.
His opponent on Saturday was also outspoken. Before the battle against Ilia Topuria’s UFC 308 title in October 2024, Holloway talked about the importance of brain health.
“You have only one brain. Once that thing starts to get worse, it's not like anything else,” he said. “Be smart, go see an expert, go see a doctor, go study your brain health.
The UFC has taken steps to help athletes protect their brains.
Based on the promotion, a five-stage program will be used to determine whether the fighter's recovery operation is suitable for fighter jets after a concussion. Each fighter will also be fully examined by the committee doctor and the UFC doctor immediately after the turn. They may be required to undergo CT brain scans, MRI brain scans and/or have neurologic follow-up assessments.
The promotion also supports ongoing research on professional athlete brain health at the Cleveland Clinic. More than 900 athletes have participated in the test since 2011, which will help determine the long-term effects of repetitive head trauma and factors that put some people at a higher risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). UFC contributed more than $2 million to the cause.
“If you have a way to identify people with these long-term effects, hopefully you can treat them or advise people as soon as possible,” said Dr. Charles Bernick, founder and lead investigator of the study. “A little bit of a way to give athletes a decision to make when they are active in their brain health. That's the most exciting thing for me.”
Brain health research for professional athletes remains an ongoing project, Bernick said. It is designed to work with current and retired fighters for at least five years.
“This gives us a real opportunity because some athletes initially retired during the research period,” he said. “So we were able to stop fighting from one person, stop touching everything they were facing… and try to understand why some people had ongoing problems even if they weren't exposed anymore, and [why] Others seem to be resilient. ”
While research focused only on MMA or boxing fighters has not been completed, former NFL players have already done so.
In February 2023, the CTE Center at Boston University announced that 345 (91%) had CTE diagnosed after studying the brains of 376 former football players.
Like football players, fighters know the risks of a physically demanding sport. No one understands this better than Poirier.
“Every time fighting, every battle camp receives something I can never come back. I can never come back.” “I'm going to leave myself there next weekend. It's just something I'm going to accept. But fighting is just something I'm going to do. I'm a father, husband, business owner, brother and a son. I have a lot of other things. Fight is just something I'm going to do.”