UFC CEO Dana White supports Dustin Poirier's decision to keep fighting
LAS VEGAS – Dana White thinks Dustin Poirier still has a lot of fight left in him.
Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC), who’s coming off a title loss to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 in June, says he has one or two more fights left in him. He’d love for his final fight to be in his home state of Louisiana amid rumors of the UFC’s potential return there in 2025.
White reminded everyone that it was just two fights ago when Poirier knocked out surging contender Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299 in March.
“Look at what he did. I mean, everybody was talking about his execution against Saint Denis, all that sh*t that was talked, and look at what he did,” White said after Dana White’s Contender Series 76 on Tuesday. “You can never count Poirier out. That’s up to him. He’s going to decide whether he wants to fight or doesn’t want to fight. It’s always up to them – it’s not up to me.
“But to say, ‘Oh, he should probably walk away right now?’ I don’t know about that. I didn’t think that Cormier should have walked away when he did, but Cormier did. He felt it was time to go, and he did it. He’s moved on, and he’s doing great. Look at the second career he has now – it’s unbelievable. All these other guys, they need to start thinking about that.”
Poirier never realized his goal of undisputed UFC gold, but was able to capture the interim lightweight title in 2019. He holds notable wins over Max Holloway twice, Conor McGregor twice, Justin Gaethje, Eddie Alvarez, and Michael Chandler.