Daniel Cormier thinks Dustin Poirier has plenty of fights left in him.
After coming up short in what was likely his last shot at the lightweight title, Poirier indicated that Saturday’s clash with Islam Makhachev may very well be his last.
I I never thought I’d be rooting for Dustin Poirier, but here we are. I don’t see any reason for him to retire. I'd love to see a rematch and then watch my brother Arman fight Islam for the title.☝🏻#UFC
— Honest Combat Sports Fan (@FightModeOn) June 2, 2024
However, ‘The Diamond’ left the door cracked open for a return, and the UFC Hall of Famer hopes he eventually walks through it again.
“If Dustin Poirier’s leaving this game, he leaves us with a ton of memories,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “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. 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.”
Fights with Conor McGregor and Colby Covington Could Be Just What Dustin Poirier Needs
If Poirier does stick around, there are a plethora of potential matchups waiting for him, the biggest being a fourth meeting with Conor McGregor. After coming up short against the Irish megastar in 2014, ‘The Diamond’ won back-to-back bouts in 2021, KO’ing McGregor at UFC 257 before ‘Mystic Mac’ went down in the opening round of their trilogy fight six months later due to a broken leg.
McGregor is scheduled to step back inside the Octagon for the first time since suffering the horrifying injury on June 29 at UFC 303. If he comes out on top against former Bellator champion Michael Chandler, it could put McGregor back on a collision course with one of his greatest rivals.
Poirier could also venture up to welterweight where a slew of interesting bouts await — chief among them being a showdown with fellow three-time title challenger Colby Covington.
Do you want to see Dustin Poirier stick around? And if so, who should he fight next?
