Alan Jouban implores Dustin Poirier to retire following UFC 302 loss: ‘I would tell him to walk away’
Alan Jouban thinks it’s time for Dustin Poirier to walk away.
After coming up short in his third and final bid to become lightweight world champion at UFC 302, Poirier suggested that his Fight of the Night with Islam Makhachev could very well be his last. However, ‘The Diamond’ left the door open, suggesting that a return to the Octagon could come down the line.
While a majority of MMA fans are holding out hope that Poirier fights again, Jouban would much rather see the Lafayette, Louisiana native lay down his gloves and ride off into the sunset as one of the most accomplished competitors in UFC history.
“I haven’t spoken to him since the fight. I would say walk away,” Jouban said on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer. “I would tell him to walk away. I think it’s been on his mind for a while. Since I’ve been talking to him for the last three years since I’ve been home [in Louisiana], he’s been bringing it up. ‘I don’t know how many more I left’ and then he gets a fight and then he knocks somebody out, ‘One more.’ He gets a loss ‘I can’t live with that loss.’ Gets a win, ‘We’ll see what happens.’
“Title fight comes, you can’t turn it down but he’s already got the money fight. People are chasing the belt, or they’re chasing Conor McGregor, and he’s done both.
“He’s said it a million times, ‘What is there left for me?’ He lost a fight that people probably gained even more — if it’s even possible — respect for him. It was such a competitive fight against the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, who he handpicked Dustin because he thought it was a stylistic easier matchup. Dustin put him in deeper water than he’s ever been in his life against Islam. I think it’s a loss that you can hold your head high on. It’s one that’s easy to walk away from.”
There are still some interesting fights for Dustin Poirier
With 39 professional fights to his credit and a slew of noteworthy opponents, including Max Holloway, Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Eddie Alvarez, Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis, Michael Chandler, Conor McGregor, and the aforementioned Islam Makhachev, it’s clear that Poirier has nothing left to prove. Aside from undisputed gold, he’s done it all.
Still, his popularity is at an all-time high and there is no doubt that the UFC could sell out arenas anywhere in the world with superfights featuring ‘The Diamond’ against the likes of former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski or fellow three-time title challenger Colby Covington. And, of course, there’s always a trilogy fight with the Irish megastar.
Do you agree with Jouban? Is now the time for Poirier to walk away, or are you on the side of Daniel Cormier?
