Poirier Could Come Out Of Retirement

Dustin Poirier has hinted that he could be lured back to the Octagon for a tie-breaker against Justin Gaethje, following the latter’s interim title win at UFC 324 against Paddy Pimblett. 

Poirier had seemingly closed the chapter on his career after a unanimous decision defeat to Max Holloway in July 2025, but the prospect of settling this rivalry may be too good to turn down. The chatter began when former fighter Josh Thomson tagged Poirier on social media, suggesting that a third meeting with Gaethje is the only “right” way for both to bow out of the sport. Poirier’s response suggested he may return:

“For that one, and only that one, I’d lace them up again,” Dustin said 

The two lightweights have shared 31 minutes over the last eight years, with neither man able to claim an edge

• The 2018 fight: In a battle of attrition, Poirier broke Gaethje down in the fourth round to secure a TKO victory.
• The BMF Battle 2023: Gaethje leveled the score at UFC 291 with a head kick that knocked Poirier out in the second round.
• A potential trilogy: While Gaethje is currently the interim champion and awaiting a fight with Ilia Topuria, a trilogy with Poirier represents a “legacy” fight that could likely generate more pay-per-view interest than a standard title defense.

Poirier’s Mindset

Before this weekend, Poirier had been vocal about the difficulty of life after fighting. 

“It’s just weird — it feels weird being a civilian, I miss it every day, man. I do. I feel like some days I’m like, ‘I can beat these guys.’ Then some days I’m like, ‘I made the right decision.’ It’s a constant tug-of-war in my head. Some days I wake up thinking I’m doing exactly what I was supposed to do — this is where I’m supposed to be.

“Some days I wake up, and man, I wish I had a fight to look forward to. The New Orleans thing was so special. It can never be done again like that. But every day, I’m battling myself about wanting to fight. “When I laid the [gloves] down, I wanted to be done. … [Now I’m] just trying to find what fills that void, man,” Poirier said