Who wouldn’t want to end their fighting career with a boxing matchup that guarantees a “red panty night”? For Dustin Poirier, that itch never went away. Earlier this year, he officially retired after losing the trilogy against Max Holloway, concluding an impressive 16-year UFC career in his hometown. Yet, deep down, he remained restless, knowing he never got the chance to face Nate Diaz in the cage. Fans might have witnessed the matchup if not for one obstacle. Poirier first expressed this desire back in 2024, revealing his plan to box Diaz. “I’d rather Nate in boxing,” he told Ariel Helwani at the time.

Despite that, he postponed the matchup, and even after retiring and taking on his new role as an MMA analyst, Dustin Poirier remained unsatisfied. This year, when Dana White revived Zuffa Boxing with the Canelo vs. Crawford card, the Louisiana native rekindled his boxing ambitions. However, Nate Diaz crushed those hopes, responding bluntly on social media, “You had your chance u punked out. Get u some sleep ya old retired pu–y.” Now, months after that exchange, Poirier has finally revealed the hurdle standing in the way of his dream boxing fight against Diaz in his latest interview.

What’s holding back Dustin Poirier’s dream fight against Nate Diaz?

Dustin Poirier may have retired from MMA, but like Conor McGregor, who still has two fights remaining on his UFC contract, he can’t freely explore other opportunities. A prime example is last year’s rumored exhibition bout between McGregor and Logan Paul in Mumbai, which never materialized because the UFC CEO didn’t give the green light. Similarly, ‘The Diamond’ still has several fights left on his UFC contract, meaning Dana White and his team must approve any outside ventures.

During a recent interview with Fox Sports AUS, Dustin Poirier opened up about this limitation, saying, “I would love to whip him up, man, you know. When I retired from the UFC, I still had maybe four or five fights left on my contract. So I’m not free to just go and box. You know, I can’t, I can’t.”

This situation mirrors why Francis Ngannou left the UFC in pursuit of his “freedom” and also explains why fans never saw the one-and-done boxing showdown between Georges St-Pierre and Oscar De La Hoya. When asked why he didn’t compete under Zuffa Boxing, the Louisiana native clarified, “But with Zuffa boxing, I don’t think they’re gonna because this would be a mess if they start allowing MMA guys and guys under the contract to start boxing. I think they want to keep it pure boxing. We’ll see. I don’t know.”

Poirier isn’t wrong. While Dana White has facilitated crossovers into boxing in the past, he is now focusing on pure boxing as a parallel enterprise to the UFC. White made this clear back in March after his deal with Turki Alalshikh, saying, “We’ll never have that.” Even months removed from active competition, Dustin Poirier clearly hasn’t embraced retirement fully. He continues to reflect on life after the UFC, showing that the itch to compete is still very much alive.

Poirier looks back on life after leaving the UFC

At the time of his retirement, Dustin Poirier left the sport with everything a veteran could hope for: an impressive resume, fan favorite status, respect from fellow fighters, and even a heartfelt farewell from UFC CEO Dana White in front of his hometown fans. Truly, a career to remember. Poirier soon realized retirement wasn’t for him, although he initially enjoyed his time away from the Octagon with his family, which was a welcome break.

Speaking candidly about his feelings, he told a fan when asked how much he misses fighting, “Every day, the moment my eyes open,” Poirier wrote in response to a commenter asking if he missed fighting. “I’ve done it for two decades, dedicated my life to it. A part of me has died.”

Despite stepping away from competition, Dustin Poirier has kept his mind active. In a one-on-one interview in late October, he reflected on his life post-retirement, “Trying to keep my mind busy, It’s been a little tough on me, fighting for 20 years and just one day saying it’s over. Every day is different. The days are long, but just trying to keep busy, man,” Poirier continued. “Really trying to keep my mind off of thinking about training, off of thinking about how good my body feels… All the stuff that comes along with walking away from something you love.”

Despite being retired, Poirier’s love for the sport still shines through, and he occasionally hints at a desire to return to competition. What do you think the former interim champion should do? Should he make a comeback or continue enjoying retirement? Share your thoughts below.