The path to legendary status in MMA often diverges into two distinct roads. Take Demetrious Johnson – a fighter whose technical mastery and record of 11 flyweight title defenses arguably place him at the pinnacle of championship excellence. His combinations flowed like water, his transitions were seamless, and his fight IQ was unmatched. Despite this, ‘Mighty Mouse’ never captured the mainstream imagination the way other champions did. Moreover, his infamous trade in exchange for the much more verbose Ben Askren from ONE Championship is a testament to the alternate road we are going to embark upon.

The paradox illustrates how stardom and success inside the Octagon operate more on the side of ‘popular appeal’. While some fighters achieve immortality through their in-cage brilliance, others etch their names into history by captivating audiences. And when it comes to the latter, no one even comes close to Conor McGregor. At least that is what most think since ‘Mystic Mac’ is the biggest MMA superstar by far. A rare mix of spectacular fighting ability with the charisma to draw casual fans into his orbit!

But verbose UFC analyst Chael Sonnen thinks that when it comes to popularity, there are at least a couple of other fighters who are in the same league as the former double champ.

“Yes, I do believe he [Poirier] lives on that Legends Island. I think we’ve got Conor McGregor out there, who it does not matter who the opponent is, that’s going to be a main event. I believe both the Diaz brothers still live on that island, and I believe that Dustin has made his way out there. And if I want to be fair, Jorge Masvidal, when he’s back. But those four guys can do anything with any opponent and get attention,” Sonnen told Daniel Cormier on their ‘Good Guy/Bad Guy Show’.

Last year, when the Irishman was set to fight on UFC 303, that card broke the record for the highest gate collection two months from the fight. McGregor, of course, pulled out of the fight so we didn’t get any PPV numbers, but the gate collection alone is enough to tell you of the Irishman’s enduring popularity.

Moreover, the former double champ has headlined 8 out of the 10 highest PPV-garnering events in UFC history including iconic cards like UFC 229, UFC 205, UFC 202, and UFC 264 with the man Sonnen talked about. But putting Dustin Poirier in the same boat as McGregor may come as a bit of a surprise to many. However, there is an important and understandable reason- his personal experiences with ‘The Diamond’.

“I did not know that he’s [Poirier is] as popular as he is. I did not know I couldn’t go places with him. Like if we’re working together at ESPN and he invites me to dinner, I tell him to enjoy your own dinner because I can’t get through the madhouse of people coming up to him. I mean it’s shocking.. people are going crazy,” Sonnen added. But it seems like those days are coming to an end as Poirier made some important revelations about his retirement.

Dustin Poirier talks about his swansong

Dustin Poirier’s career is coming to an end. ‘The Diamond’ almost retired last year after losing his UFC 302 title clash against Islam Makhachev, but held on for one more fight, since he felt he would be leaving too much money on the table otherwise. And it turns out that he and the UFC are close to finalizing the details of the Lousiana native’s last fight.

“I wish I could tell you more. I’ve actually been having calls every week with the UFC. But it’s looking like summer in New Orleans is close to happening for my retirement fight. A pay-per-view in New Orleans this summer would be incredible. That’s what I’m pushing for. That’s what the UFC’s working toward, and things are getting pretty close: Lay the gloves down where it all started in Louisiana. It would be an honor for me,” Poirier told popular MMA YouTuber ‘The Schmo’ in a recent interview.

Of course, the most interesting question here is- who will Poirier fight in his farewell fight? Well, there are a few good options. A trilogy fight with Justin Gaethje would be pretty interesting since both men are 1-1 in their two fights so far. Another option could be a clash against one of the young guns like Paddy Pimblett or a rematch with Dan Hooker. What do you think about Chael Sonnen’s take on Dustin Poirier’s popularity?