Dustin Poirier nonetheless has combating on his thoughts.
“The Diamond” retired this previous July at UFC 318 in his residence state of Louisiana following a trilogy bout with longtime rival Max Holloway, the end result of a 41-fight profession that noticed Poirier develop into one of the vital beloved fighters in MMA historical past and a one-time interim light-weight champion.
On the time, Poirier gave the impression to be content material together with his determination, however he tweeted Saturday night that his love of the sport is as sturdy as ever.
“Each day, the second my eyes open,” Poirier wrote in response to a commenter asking if he missed combating. “I’ve executed it for 20 years, devoted my life to it.
“Part of me has died.”
Poirier, 36, took his first professional bout in 2009 and compiled a 7-0 document earlier than becoming a member of the WEC and later the UFC, the place he shortly rose via the featherweight ranks. Although he by no means fought for a title in that division, he scored a number of notable victories, together with a first-round submission of future rival Max Holloway, earlier than turning his consideration to light-weight.
It was at 155 kilos that Poirier really established his legacy. Beginning in 2015, he went on a 9-1 (1 NC) run, defeating Holloway once more at UFC 236 to win an interim belt earlier than falling to Khabib Nurmagomedov in a championship unification bout at UFC 242. Poirier continued to rack up Combat of the Evening awards and Efficiency of the Evening bonuses after that and likewise scored a pair of high-profile wins over Conor McGregor.
Poirier additionally responded to a number of messages from followers yesterday, letting them understand how a lot he misses making that stroll to the octagon.
