Khabib Nurmagomedov pleads with Dustin Poirier to retire ahead of rumored UFC return: ‘He’s finished’
Former undisputed lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov has called for his former-foe, Dustin Poirier to follow though on a potential retirement from combat sports earlier this year — claiming the Lafayette native and his counterparts from the lightweight “old school” should not be fighting anymore.
Poirier, who retains the number four rank at the lightweight limit, has been sidelined since June, headlining UFC 302 against Nurmagomedov’s protege and current pound-for-pound number one, Islam Makhachev in an undisputed title affair.
And forcing the dominant gold holder to the fifth round, Poirier was submitted eventually with a D’Arce choke stoppage, with Makhachev defending his championship for the third time since his ascension.
Weighing up a potential retirement from combat sports in the aftermath of his outing for the undisputed crown, Poirier once more confirmed this weekend how he would be competing once more in the future — claiming a potential swansong was on the horizon.
Khabib Nurmagomedov calls for Dustin Poirier to hang up his gloves now
However, according to Nurmagomedov, the former interim champion should have already hung up his gloves — as well as former opponent, Justin Gaethje, and arch-rival, Tony Ferguson.
“I think (Dustin) Poirier have to stop fighting,” Khabib Nurmagomedov told the Pound-4-Pound podcast. “I think he’s finished. Justin Gaethje, Khabib, Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson. This is old school brother. Stop fighting.”
Together headlining UFC 242 back in 2019, Nurmagomedov would successfully unify the lightweight crowns in a championship fight against then-interim gold holder, Poirier, submitting the American Top Team striker with an eventual third round rear-naked choke in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Over the weekend to boot, Louisiana native, Poirier seemed to endorse a potential lightweight welcoming of current featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria on social media — with the unbeaten knockout finisher confirming plans to explore an immediate move to 155lbs next.
