Dustin Poirier`s journey in the UFC began in 2011, a time when the promotion`s champions included prominent names such as Cain Velasquez, Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, and Frankie Edgar.
Remarkably, apart from Jon Jones and Jose Aldo, every fighter who held a UFC title during Poirier`s debut year has since retired or is no longer competing under the UFC banner. Now, as the 36-year-old prepares for potentially his last appearance inside the octagon – a retirement bout against Max Holloway set for UFC 318 in July – Poirier acknowledges that he is on the verge of passing leadership roles to the next generation of competitors, just as the legends before him did after his arrival.
Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, Poirier commented, “I think we’re in a changing of the guard.” He reflected on observing the preceding era, which he grew up watching as a fan, featuring icons like Georges St-Pierre, B.J. Penn, and Chuck Liddell. “I got to kind of see that get transitioned out to this new era,” he added, noting, “I think we’re going through a little bit of that now.”
Although some seasoned fighters, like Alexander Volkanovski, are still defying expectations – Volkanovski recently became the first fighter over 35 to win a title in a division of 155 pounds or lighter by reclaiming his featherweight belt at UFC 314 – the majority of athletes in this age bracket are nearing the conclusion of their professional careers.
Poirier himself has hinted at retiring for quite some time, but he was determined to have one more fight before officially ending his career. This final contest is now scheduled to happen in his home state of Louisiana during UFC 318 in New Orleans.
He understood that this stage of his career was inevitable, and Poirier suspects that several other established UFC veterans are in a similar situation and will likely join him in retirement sooner rather than later.
“I’m on my way out. Justin Gaethje’s on his way out,” Poirier remarked. “Kamaru Usman has a few left. It’s a changing of the guard right now.”
While experienced fighters like Poirier and Gaethje are approaching the end of their time competing, the subsequent wave of talent is definitely making its mark, with rising stars such as Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett gaining prominence.
Marcus Blakely