Dustin Poirier teases comeback after UFC 324 main event

Could we see Dustin Poirier in the Octagon again? After UFC 324, it suddenly seems possible.

Poirier is considered one of the best lightweights ever, even if he never won an undisputed title. Last summer, he announced his retirement, following a close decision loss to Max Holloway. He initially seemed pretty determined to stick to his retirement plans, however, UFC 324 seems to have gotten him thinking about a comeback.

The card went down last Saturday in Las Vegas. In the main event, Justin Gaethje defeated Paddy Pimblett to win the interim lightweight title.

Poirier knows Gaethje well. The two lightweight legends have fought twice before. Poirier won their first encounter by TKO, and Gaethje evened the score with a head-kick KO in their rematch years later. That, of course, left their rivalry tied at 1-1. Poirier’s retirement suggested that’s where the rivalry would end, but it seems a tie-breaker is possible.

Dustin Poirier teases UFC comeback for Justin Gaethje rematch

Shortly after UFC 324 concluded, former UFC lightweight contender Josh Thomson shared his interest in seeing Poirier and Gaethje run it back. Poirier caught win of Thomson’s Instagram post, and surprisingly admitted he would return to competition to complete the trilogy with Gaethje.

 

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“I’ll come back for that one,” Poirier said.

Whether Poirier returns or not, his legacy is set in stone. Like Gaethje, he is a former interim champion. He fought three times for the undisputed, losing via submission to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Charles Oliveira, and most recently, Islam Makhachev. Despite that, he holds wins over many top lightweights. Highlights of his resume include wins over Gaethje, Conor McGregor (twice), Max Holloway (twice), Eddie Alvarez, Anthony Pettis and Jim Miller.

Would you be interested in seeing Poirier and Gaethje fight for a third time?