Dustin Poirier dismisses retirement talk ahead of UFC 291 return: ‘You guys ain’t getting rid of me’

Former interim lightweight champion, Dustin Poirier has insisted that a potential retirement from active competition following his UFC 291 return this weekend is far from his mind, claiming he will continue to fight and trade leather in mixed martial arts as long as his “want” to compete remains.

Poirier, the current number two ranked lightweight contender, has been sidelined from the Octagon since featuring on the main card of UFC 281 back in November at Madison Square Garden, submitting Michael Chandler with a third round rear-naked choke.

Returning in the headliner of UFC 291 this weekend in Salt Lake City, Poirier takes on fellow former interim gold holder, Justin Gaethje as the pair rematch each other for the symbolic BMF championship. 

Holding bragging rights over the Arizona native ahead of their rematch in Utah, Dustin Poirier managed to turn in a fourth round standing TKO win over Gaethje back in 2018 in the main event of UFC Fight Night Phoenix.

Dustin Poirier shuts down suggestion of retirement ahead of UFC 291

However, ahead of their BMF title clash at UFC 291, Poirier’s training partner, Renato Moicano, claimed that he believed the Lafayette native, or Gaethje, would likely retire from mixed martial arts with a loss in their rematch bout.

According to Poirier, however, the storied former interim champion, who firmly has sights set on a future lightweight title fight against current kingpin, Islam Makahchev, insisted he has no intention to retire from combat sports, currently.

“I’m not really putting a lot of energy into it,” Dustin Poirier told the New York Post Sports. “Even here, on Saturday night. I’m not doing this because I have to. I’m doing this because I want to. So, as long as the ‘want’ is still there, you guys ain’t getting rid of me.” (Transcribed by MMA News)