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Morning Report: Dustin Poirier says he has ‘four or five years’ left in MMA, only interested in fights that will ‘leave a legacy’

July 22, 2020
Esther Lin, MMA Fighting

Last month, Dustin Poirier reasserted himself right at the top of the pile of lightweight contenders with a five-round unanimous decision win over Dan Hooker. The fight was the kind of back-and-forth war that is sure to be embraced during year end awards season but it’s also the kind of hard-fought battle that can shorten careers. Poirier even made note of this fact after the fight, saying that he isn’t sure how much longer he will fight “because I don’t want to love this so much that it kills me.”

Now, nearly a full month removed from the fight, Poirier has had more time to reflect on his future and the second-ranked lightweight contender believes he has four or five more years left in the tank.

“I’ve been fighting for a while, I have 40 fights, and I want these last four or five years to really mean something every time I get into the octagon,” Poirier told Jim Rome this week. “Not only for me and my family, but for the goals that I’m trying to bring awareness to and raise money for and for my career. I really want to leave a legacy.”

Poirier already has quite a legacy as one of the premier action-fighters of his era, but following the birth of his daughter in 2016, Poirier turned a corner and became one of the best fighters of his era, full stop. Since 2017, Poirier has gone 6-1, with 1 No Contest, including wins over Anthony Pettis, Justin Gaethje, Eddie Alvarez, and an interim title win over Max Holloway. His failed lightweight title bid against Khabib Nurmagomedov briefly stymied his plans but, moving forward and considering all he’s accomplished, “The Diamond” says he’s only interested in big, legacy-defining fights.

“I’m not sure what the options will be when the UFC comes back and starts sitting at the table to make these matches,” Poirier said. “It needs to be a really big name or a title fight. I’ve been doing this for 10 years in the UFC, and I still love fighting, but I want these fights to mean more than just a fight. I don’t want it to just be about a show and win purse. I want it to really mean something, and I know I’m in the back nine of my career.”

Even outside of fighting though, Poirier’s legacy is secure. This year, he became the inaugural winner of the UFC’s Forrest Griffin Community Award for his charitable work with his The Good Fight Foundation. And when he does finally walk away from the sport, it’s the outside-the-cage things - his family and his charity - that will define him.

“It puts fighting into perspective,” Poirier said. “It’s just something I do, something I do very well, but it’s just part of my life. Whenever fighting stops, I’m still going to be a father and I’m still gonna be the president of The Good Fight Foundation and I’m still going to be a husband. Realizing that and growing up in the sport and being more mature now lets me put it that way and lets me think of it that way. I enjoy it. I love fighting. But it’s gonna stop one day and these other things will not. So I’m just enjoying the ride of everything.”

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VIDEO STEW

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SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

Flyweight title.

Or maybe this.

And, of course.

Friends.

Ouch.

Double ouch.

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UPDATE: The incident that took place in LFA on July 10th was extremely unfortunate. We believe Boston is a special talent and is able to compete with the best in the world. His stent in the UFC did not go as planned because it was determined by physicians that the weight cut to bantamweight was too extreme for him to be able to perform to his ability. We were extremely excited to restart Boston’s run at featherweight with @lfafighting and get him back to a big show. Boston was in control of this fight and just settling into his range and timing in the 2nd round when both he and his opponent, Shawn West, landed simultaneous hooks causing both to be flashed and knocked down. As Boston was getting back to his feet he was hit with an illegal knee that ended the night. What we have to focus on here first and foremost is Boston‘s health. The knee landed with incredible force and caused Boston to suffer a broken orbital and cheek bone. Aside from the DQ we feel there should be disciplinary actions enforced by the commision to set a higher precedence on these types of fouls. There was no question about the legality of the knee and Boston was awarded the win at the end of the contest. It goes without saying that this is not the way Boston wanted the fight to be determined. As a team we are sitting down with Boston and his family to discuss what we want to do moving forward. Boston would like to thank LFA and their staff for getting him back on stage and giving him the opportunity to perform. For now Boston is going to undergo further examination and we will determine the next steps as we go. #bossteam

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FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Rudy Schaffroth (6-1) vs. Ras Hylton (5-4); Bellator 242, July 24.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Thanks for reading and see y’all tomorrow.

EXIT POLL

If you find something you’d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @JedKMeshew on Twitter and let him know about it. Also follow MMAFighting on Instagram, add us on Snapchat at MMA-Fighting, and like us on Facebook.

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