Dustin Poirier‘s announcement about retiring this weekend after his fight against Max Holloway for the BMF belt hasn’t sat well with some people. MMA veteran Eddie Alvarez mentioned that ‘The Diamond’ could have decided to talk about retirement after the fight, as now he’s got some added pressure at UFC 318. “I’ve never seen it actually go well for someone where they say they’re gonna retire, they go out there, they put on a performance of a lifetime, and then walk off into the sunset.”

Well, Eddie Alvarez sounds concerned, but one of Dustin Poirier’s old rivals has jumped on his bandwagon with a prediction for the main event on Saturday. Let’s go back to UFC 302. The PPV mostly got its shine because of the lightweight title main event between Poirier and the then-champion, Islam Makhachev. Unlike Khabib Nurmagomedov, who finished the Lafayette native under three rounds, his protégé was taken to the extra mile by Poirier. The Dagestan native eventually tapped ‘The Diamond’ out in the fifth round, but he took a lot of damage, perhaps the most in any fight.

Their rivalry started a bit heated during the face-off, but ended with a hug behind the scenes after the fight. Dustin Poirier really took Islam Makhachev to the limit, and the Dagestan native acknowledges that. And hence, he’s picking the 36-year-old to go out in grand fashion. “100 percent. He’s [Dustin Poirier] my guy. I will root for him. We text each other a lot. And this is his last fight. I think he will come out at his peak. I wish him luck, and I think he will win,” Makhachev stated in a video posted on social media.

While adding a bit more insight into his prediction, the former lightweight champion decided to take a little unsuspecting jibe, as he usually does, dismissing both Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier’s ability to put their opponents to sleep. Nevertheless, Islam Makhachev gave credit where credit was due.

“Yes, I think a decision win [for Poirier]. It’s hard to finish both of them. Both can take punch well. Neither of them have a very powerful knockout punch, but they hit accurately,” Islam Makhachev added. “Both work more in the stand-up. I think it will be technical, who will outplay who [type of fight].”

Well, Dustin Poirier showed in his last fight that he’s still at the top of his game. While some fans may be surprised with his decision to retire, well, he recently shared his heartfelt fear that led him to decide to hang up his gloves for good after UFC 318.

Dustin Poirier revealed the reason behind his decision to retire

Dustin Poirier, now 36, stands as a seasoned warrior in the octagon, boasting more fights than many of his peers at the elite level. The UFC star, now in this stage of life, says he’s juggling more responsibilities as a father and husband, especially with another child on the horizon. After more than 16 years in the MMA arena, he feels that stepping away now, even while riding high, is the smart move. Poirier is determined to exit the octagon on his own terms, steering clear of the pitfalls that have plagued some of his fellow fighters. He’s not looking to push his body to the limit and fight until he can’t anymore.

Claiming that he wants to put on a good last showing while he still can, Poirier told ‘SunSport’, “The decision was made because, you know, I have over 50 fights.” He added, “My wife’s pregnant, I have a little girl at home. I’ve said this over and over again, ‘I don’t want this sport to retire me. I want to walk away from this sport.’ And if that’s putting only great performances and fighting and beating the best guys in the world, that’s the way I want it to be.”

Well, Dustin Poirier wants to go out with a banger of a fight. What’s better than winning the BMF belt while he still can? Well, Islam Makhachev may have backed Poirier to win, but the claim that Max Holloway doesn’t have power in his hands would be a huge understatement. We need to take a look at what happened to Justin Gaethje. Maybe that happens again, or maybe it doesn’t. We’ll find that out this weekend, but let us know your predictions in the comments down below.