UFC legend Dustin Poirier has revealed who he initially asked to compete against in his retirement fight.
Tonight, in the main event of UFC 318, Dustin Poirier will make the walk to the octagon for the final time. He will go head to head with Max Holloway in the third fight of their series, with ‘The Diamond’ currently leading 2-0. While both guys are fan favorites, a lot of fans are hoping to see Dustin ride off into the sunset with a victory – and the BMF championship.
Of course, Dustin Poirier has been given a lot by the UFC over the years, and that’s especially true for his retirement fight. He wanted a big showcase event and he got it, with the show taking place in New Orleans, Louisiana – his home state.
As it turns out, though, Dustin Poirier originally wanted to compete against Justin Gaethje, the man who knocked him out with a head kick in their last meeting.
Dustin Poirier’s original retirement plans
“Originally, when I told them I wanted to retire, I wanted to fight Justin,” Poirier said. “We’re 1-1. I didn’t wanna end my career being 1-1, leaving that kind of open.
“I wanted a rubber match. I wanted somebody to be up on somebody. I wanted to get my get-back on him. I knocked him out, he knocked me out…we’ve gotta do it again.
“When this fight started coming together, my retirement plans, he was booked to fight Dan Hooker,” Poirier continued. “I wanted to fight Justin…then I saw him do an interview and he said, ‘You know what, if Dustin’s okay with it being 1-1, I’m okay with it. Let’s shake hands. Our families don’t deserve (for) us to get in another head-on collision.’
“I never thought about it that way. I was like, ‘You know what? If he’s okay with it, I’m okay with it.’ When you put it like that, somebody’s gonna get hurt. We’re both not young in the game. We both have a lot of wars under our belt.”
Quotes via Bloody Elbow
