Poirier On His Boxing Ambitions – ‘I Still Have Fights Left With The UFC'

Dustin Poirier opened up about the legal “limbo” he currently faces, revealing that while he is finished with the Octagon, he remains tied to a UFC contract that prevents him from entering the boxing ring.

Poirier described his situation as “purgatory,” explaining that TKO Group Holdings still maintains exclusive rights to his competitive services, effectively barring him from any outside combat sports ventures without their blessing.

Poirier’s MMA run reached its conclusion nearly a year ago on July 19, 2025, at UFC 318. Headlining in his home state at the Smoothie King Center, Poirier faced Max Holloway for the BMF Title in the third fight of their rivalry. Poirier lost a unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46).

Poirier Reacts

Despite his retirement from MMA, “The Diamond” hasn’t lost his competitive fire. He has been remarkably vocal about transitioning to professional boxing, specifically aiming for a crossover mega-fight with fellow legend Nate Diaz. Poirier recently pitched a high-profile Zuffa Boxing match against Diaz to the UFC hierarchy. The proposal was reportedly shut down.

“Man, I still have fights left in my contract with the UFC. I’m stuck in purgatory, so I can’t go out and do nothing. And if I could, I don’t even know if I would, but boxing has always been something I wanted to do. Bro, I’ve been down this road before. They don’t want any crossover. No. They want to be taken seriously. Plus, if they let one guy do it, every guy and girl on the roster is going to try to do this,” Poirier said