Michael Bisping advises Dustin Poirier to retire after UFC 302.
Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) was submitted by Islam Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) in this past Saturday’s headliner at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., falling short in his third attempt at undisputed gold.
“The Diamond” was uncertain of his fighting future after losing to Makhachev, but if he does decide to continue competing, Bisping sees two logical options for him next.
“So Justin Gaethje, Alexander Volkanovski, they’re my two top picks, or does he walk off into the sunshine?” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “Listen, make hay whilst the sun is shining, but he’s made a lot of hay. He’s got money in the bank. He’s represented himself with class.
“He went toe to toe with Islam Makhachev. He’s been in there with some of the best fighters on the planet and put on some absolute wars and, as he said, if he considers his smokers and his kind of amateur fights, he’s had about 50 fights.”
Despite still thinking Poirier can compete at a high level, Bisping advises him to call it a career.
“He’s only 35 years old, he’s got a lot of life left to live, so go off, enjoy yourself,” Bisping said. “That would be my suggestion. I would love to see him fight Volk, I would love to see him fight Gaethje, but for me, I would say the best thing that I ever did was walk away from combat sports.
“It’s a very, very hard thing. It’s all that you know, you’ve dedicated your entire life to it, but when you do it, when you reach those kinds of heights, it opens so many other doors. So, Dustin Poirier, whatever you do decide, all the best. Congratulations on a phenomenal career.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.
Michael Bisping: Dustin Poirier has ‘represented himself with class,’ no need to fight after UFC 302
