31 fights in the UFC and only eight of those are losses, in a career spanning 40 fights for Dustin Poirier [30-1 (1 NC)]. While ‘The Diamond’ has mostly only lost to top contenders in the company, he was able to avenge one of those losses, against Conor McGregor. Revenge must have been sweet for the Louisiana native, arguably against the man who gave him the most amount of grief in terms of the thrash talk. Poirier was the recipient of a first-round KO at the hands of McGregor back in 2014 at UFC 178. The build-up to that fight was tense, and ‘The Notorious’ did everything to get under Poirier’s skin. Worse, for ‘The Diamond’, he succumbed to the thrash talk and lost devastatingly.

When they met again at UFC 257, ‘The Diamond’ became the first man to knock the Irishman out, doing so in the second round. However, there was a moment in the fight that reminded Poirier of their first meeting, when ‘The Notorious’ threw a punch that had the Louisiana native wobbled. But, having had more experience in the cage than Conor McGregor at that point, Dustin Poirier was able to weather that storm and dance his way to a win by TKO.

On being asked about the toughest puncher he has ever faced in the UFC, Poirier had no hesitation in saying, ” I would probably say Conor McGregor. Yeah he can punch”. However, he then mocked the former dual champion and said, “I don’t remember it was 2014 when I got hit solid . I whipped his a.. twice since then so.” They met again, in a trilogy bout at UFC 264, and the fight seemed even despite Poirier having some significant moments in the fight. However, the bout ended in an anti-climax as McGregor snapped his tibia in the second round, thus having ‘The Diamond’ win the bout via TKO in round 1.

The interesting thing through all these three bouts was the different Conor McGregors that showed up. In the first fight, we saw the featherweight rising star, who seemed unstoppable. In the second fight, we saw the calmest, most collected version of ‘The Notorious’ show up, and get knocked out. In their third bout, we got the version of the Irishman that went against Khabib Nurmagomedov, full of vitriol and personal potshots. Moreover, snapping his tibia in the third fight didn’t stop him from launching personal attacks at Poirier and his wife Jolie.

The rivalry remained unsettled, with McGregor vowing revenge and Poirier asserting his superiority. Talking about rivalry, Beneil Dariush has been trying to get the attention of Dustin Poirier for quite some time now. However, after being constantly denied by him, the #9 ranked lightweight fighter feels he might just be bluffing his retirement again.

Dustin Poirier may not retire after his fight at Louisiana feels Beneil Dariush

The UFC lightweight division is undergoing a major shift, and it looks like Dustin Poirier is the first to feel the impact. As new contenders rise and fresh talent takes center stage, the longtime fan favorite finds himself at a crossroads. Once a dominant force in the division, Poirier now faces the harsh reality of an evolving landscape where hungry challengers are eager to make their mark.

The truth is, we don’t even know for sure if the first domino is actually falling, given all the uncertainty surrounding Dustin Poirier’s future. After his UFC 302 loss to Islam Makhachev last year, Poirier strongly hinted at retirement during his emotional Octagon interview, making it seem like the end of an era.

But just moments later at the post-fight press conference, he appeared to backtrack, acknowledging that walking away now would mean leaving a fortune on the table. Ranked #9 in the division, Beneil Dariush has his eyes on a fight with Dustin Poirier—but he doesn’t feel ‘The Diamond’ will be retiring next. During an interview with Inside Fighting, he said, “That would be great if it’s [a UFC Louisiana fight against Dustin Poirier is] an option. I’ll take it. If it’s his last fight, I’ll take it. But it’s like, you know, the guy says last fight, and then all of a sudden [he says] he’ll fight again. You never know with the last fights, it’s not that simple.” 

Will Dustin Poirier fight in his hometown for the last time? If so, will it be against Beneil Dariush? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.