“I’m going out on my terms. I’m not letting the sport retire me.” That was Dustin Poirier’s defiant whisper into the Octagon on the night of UFC 318, a line charged with as much grit as grace. He began his UFC journey against Josh Grispi at UFC 125 before going on to face a young Max Holloway at UFC 143 just eight months later. He was only 23 at the time.

And now at 36, in a poetic full-circle moment, he ended his career with the same man in front of his hometown crowd, trading blows in a heartrending five-round war. What felt like the flicker of a diamond in the sky that night wasn’t just another fight; it was the closing of a legacy, as ‘The Diamond’ laid down his gloves under a Louisiana sunset.

Dustin Poirier shares heartfelt post-retirement confession

Recently, Dustin Poirier took to Instagram to share an unedited picture of his current life, which he accompanied with the words: “Been soul searching. I’m making some changes 🫡 Blessings on the journey.” The post, though very simplistic, was full of connotations and pointed to a surrendering of his Octagon presence. The hubbub continued when a follower named ChadtheCoach threw a simple question: “What’s the next step?” Poirier responded in a whisper that was nonetheless significant: “Sobriety.” In a single word, the fighter who had historically taken on the fiercest rivals revealed his determination to conquer a different kind of battle.

“It has been more difficult than I thought it was going to be,” Dustin Poirier said regarding retirement. “But I definitely have been staying super busy, keeping my mind busy, traveling a lot. But nothing is ever going to fill that void of what fighting was in my life.” Even now, Poirier has found a way to stay close to the sport he loves, working as a UFC analyst during pay-per-view events, a role he hopes to continue when the promotion transitions to Paramount+ next year. “If I can keep doing these analyst gigs … keep talking about the sport … I would love to stay connected,” he said.

“To see Volk get his belt back and beat the odds, I was really happy for him, man,” Poirier added on MMA Knockout, showing that even from the desk, he still lives and breathes the highs and lows of MMA. A fighter’s life doesn’t just end with retirement. Conor McGregor, for example, built massive businesses in clothing and whiskey, yet he still steps into the ring with BKFC bouts while remaining connected to combat sports. Amanda Nunes, despite retiring, has admitted she “has had a hard time being away from the fight game.” For Poirier, leaving the Octagon doesn’t mean leaving the fighter’s life behind; staying involved keeps that fire alive.

Dustin Poirier pops up all over UFC 322

Dustin Poirier didn’t compete at UFC 322, but he stayed busy all weekend. The former interim champ broke down the Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev main event and gave his take on Islam moving to welterweight. He even showed up at Madison Square Garden to watch it unfold live.

Poirier also teamed up with Bruce Buffer and Bud Light for a fan call-center stunt. He joked about taking on a “new job” while surprising callers and hanging out with fans. It kept him in the mix without throwing a single punch.

Backstage, Poirier ran into Magomed “Chanco” Zaynukov, the Islam look-alike from Makhachev’s corner. He laughed about the resemblance and playfully went for a D’Arce choke, a nod to how Islam submitted him at UFC 302. It was light, self-aware, and classic Poirier energy.

Even in retirement mode, he stayed locked into the fight talk. Poirier said Islam is “built for 170” and believes the champ’s wrestling still works at the new weight. He gave JDM one path: defend takedowns and keep it standing. So there it goes. Even though he’s retired, his journey in MMA is not yet done.