Should Dustin Poirier Retire If He Is Victorious Against Max Holloway?
UFC 318 is set to be a night to honor the legendary career of one Dustin Poirier. UFC 318, which takes place in Poirier’s home state of Louisiana, will feature a headliner for the ages. Max Holloway will seek to do something he hasn’t been able to do in his illustrious career: Beat Dustin Poirier. Poirier is 2-0 against Holloway and will look to retire 3-0 against the former Featherweight Champion. However, if Poirier is victorious against Max Holloway at UFC 318, there are three reasons why retirement may not be the best idea for the ‘Diamond’.
Championship Aspirations
When you sign a UFC contract, you do so to become a UFC Champion. There is only one thing that has eluded Dustin Poirier’s legendary career: an Undisputed UFC Championship. Poirier is 0-3 in championship fights. With losses to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Charles Oliveira, and Islam Makhachev, not being able to win the ‘big one’ is certainly understandable. However, with Nurmagomedov retired and Makhachev leaving the Lightweight Division, the state of the Lightweight Division is free of the Dagestani wrestling that has held Poirier back from reaching the UFC Lightweight Championship.
State of the Lightweight Division
The more the Lightweight Division has changed, the more it has stayed the same. Conveniently, the changes have benefited a fighter such as Poirier. Gone are the days of the dominant Dagestani wrestlers such as Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev. With names at the top of the Lightweight Division such as Ilia Topuria, Justin Gaethje, Paddy Pimblett, and Dan Hooker, striking seems to be having a renaissance within the Division. Dustin Poirier is also no stranger to the names at the top of the Lightweight Division, holding wins over Gaethje and Hooker.
Number One Contender
The Lightweight Division has a clear number-one contender in Arman Tsarukyan. However, after pulling out of his scheduled fight with Islam Makhachev at UFC 311, the Armenian has seemingly ended up on UFC President Dana White’s bad side. With Dana White making it clear that Tsarukyan needs to earn his way back up to a title shot, whoever gets the next Lightweight Championship opportunity post-Topuria vs. Oliveira is up for grabs. With Arman Tsarukyan out of the championship picture, and top fighters such as Justin Gaethje, Paddy Pimblett, Mateusz Gamrot, and Dan Hooker not having fights booked, a win over Max Holloway just might be for Dustin Poirier to secure his fourth UFC Lightweight Championship shot.
