Dustin Poirier Reacts Strongly to Paddy Pimblett’s
Dustin Poirier’s February 2025 comments were about his own possible retirement fight, not Paddy Pimblett’s retirement plans. When asked whether he would face Pimblett in his last bout, Poirier called it an interesting matchup but said it was not the farewell fight he wanted. He was hoping to finish his career in Louisiana against an opponent he considered a fellow legend. Pimblett was not announcing that he planned to retire.
The video above is a reposted clip of Poirier’s remarks. In a separate interview reported by MMA Fighting, he said a bout with Pimblett was interesting but not the matchup he wanted for his retirement. His preference was for a final fight at home in Louisiana against a veteran he respected. The comments were a response to a possible matchup, not a personal feud or a formal challenge.
Poirier wanted a farewell bout in Louisiana
At the time, Poirier had lost a lightweight title fight to Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 in June 2024. He was considering whether to take one more fight, and the possibility of Pimblett as an opponent had entered the conversation. Poirier’s “legends only” remark described the kind of sendoff he wanted; it was not evidence that he thought Pimblett had no future or could not become a major name in the division.
Poirier’s next fight was eventually set against Max Holloway at UFC 318 in New Orleans on July 19, 2025, for the BMF title. It became the final bout of Poirier’s UFC career, as he had hoped to make his last walk in his home state. Holloway won by unanimous decision, with official scorecards recorded by the promotion. Pimblett was not Poirier’s retirement opponent.
The official record makes the contrast clear: the Pimblett matchup remained speculative, while the UFC later booked Holloway. Poirier kept preparing for a final appearance and publicly described it as a retirement fight. When UFC 318 ended, he had completed his last bout, closing a career that included an interim lightweight championship and several title challenges.
Pimblett’s path continued separately
Pimblett fought Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in April 2025 and won by third-round TKO. That result strengthened his standing in the lightweight division, but it came after Poirier’s February comments and does not change what Poirier had been asked. The two fighters did not meet in the Octagon before Poirier’s retirement.
The original framing blurred two different ideas: Poirier’s talk of retiring after one final fight, and a speculative matchup with Pimblett. Poirier’s answer was clear that he did not want Pimblett for that specific farewell bout. It did not mean Pimblett was retiring, and it did not establish that Poirier refused every possible future matchup under any circumstances.
Looking back, Poirier received the Louisiana sendoff he had sought, against Holloway rather than Pimblett. His career ended after a competitive five-round fight for the BMF belt. Pimblett continued his own run separately. The reported remarks remain a small moment in the buildup to Poirier’s final bout, rather than a retirement announcement from Pimblett or a confirmed fight offer.
Sources: MMA Fighting report on Poirier’s comments; UFC 318 official results; UFC 318 judges’ scorecards; UFC 314 official results.
