Dustin Poirier does not believe in any coincidences. “It was written before I started,” is what he said to RGIII during their conversation. ‘The Diamond’ knows that he has reached his ultimate 3,106.75 carat capacity and it’s time to retire. The former interim lightweight champ knew that MMA was in his destiny when it chose him just like the ‘wand choosing the wizard’ in the Harry Potter series. And after an illustrious career, fighting at the highest levels, the Louisiana native appears to be ready to pull the curtain on a spectacular career.

The Louisiana native has had more than 14 years in the MMA sphere and has achieved everything inside the UFC Octagon except the undisputed lightweight title. However, the former interim lightweight champ has cemented his legacy with an incredible 30-9-0 run in MMA, defeating veteran fighters like Michael Chandler, Conor McGregor (twice), Max Holloway (twice), and more. So now, after a fruitful run in the UFC, he has decided that it is time for him to hang up his gloves.

What’s better than to complete the final dance in his native state of Louisiana? And thankfully, the UFC has decided to fulfill his wish. He shared his plans to retire in the Outta Pocket podcast and said, “Look I got a call today from the UFC because they knew I was coming out here and doing radio row and all kind of stuff and they knew fighting questions would pop up. They said, ‘You can go ahead and tell we’ve been in negotiations we’re working on Louisiana for your retirement fight.’”

He added, “I want to lay the gloves down here. I have 50-something cage fights, you know I’ve been fighting since I started boxing when I was 17. You know I got into UFC pretty young, I have 3,0 maybe 32 fights in UFC I was in WEC before. I’m not sure how big of a mixed martial arts fan you are.”

Dustin Poirier has proved to everyone that he’s not just a fighter’s fighter but a true embodiment of the fighting spirit—gaining notoriety especially after being the first fighter to knock out Conor McGregor in the sport of MMA. For true fans of the sport, however, his journey has been nothing short of spectacularly, facing only setbacks against the best names in the organization.

After achieving the status of a legendary fighter, ‘The Diamond’ mentioned that his next goal is to concentrate on his family and businesses, while raising his daughter. He revealed that he does not want to “give the sport more than he can”. At 36, the Lafayette, Louisiana native is ready to walk away and wants to do it right. So, let’s take a flashback to this journey and see how fighting chose him.

How UFC helped fulfill Dustin Poirier’s destiny

‘The Diamond’ was an uncut gem before MMA found him, and believes that it was all a part of God’s plan. There was one particular moment that made him realize that fighting was his calling. “You know, my wife was in college. I was fighting, working a full-time job as a professional fighter, you know, hit my first bonus in the UFC when I was young, 20 or 21 years old. And back in the day they [bonuses] were 65[k], and they [the UFC] wrote you a check in the locker room, right there, when, you know, Lorenzo [Fertitta] and they owned it. They would cut you a check in the locker room,” the former interim champ said.

He revealed that he expected to make $ 14,000 fighting but got a $65,000 check which made him debt-free—and finally, he felt like he was living life. The Louisiana native won his first bonus in the UFC back in 2012, one month after his twenty-third birthday. This bonus-winning performance was a fantastic first-round submission over fellow UFC legend, Max Holloway, at UFC 143 on short notice.

This bonus at a time changed his life’s trajectory. Over a decade later, he is in a secure position sitting among the best of the best in the sport. ‘The Diamond’ is ready to move on to his next chapter and he will do it on his terms by making it come full circle in Louisiana—where it all started. We don’t know who he will fight in his swansong yet, but all will be revealed in time. What do you think about his retirement plans? Share your opinions in the comments below.