Dustin Poirier shares heartfelt "letter to the game" after UFC retirement

A few days removed from his final fight at UFC 318, Dustin Poirier took some time to reflect on the end of his incredible career.

One of the most beloved fighters in UFC history, Poirier briefly considered retirement following his third failed bid to claim undisputed UFC gold last year before he successfully convinced the promotion to head to his home state of Louisiana for one final fight.

Facing former UFC featherweight champion and current “BMF” titleholder Max Holloway for the third time in the main event of UFC 318, Poirier was given an incredible reception and sendoff from the New Orleans crowd but closed out his fighting career with a unanimous decision loss to Holloway.

"The Diamond" Pens "Letter To The Game" After UFC 318

Poirier stayed true to his pre-fight decision and left his gloves in the cage after UFC 318, and after getting a few days to process everything the 36-year-old took to Instagram to share a “letter to the game” celebrating his time as a fighter.

The trilogy fight with Holloway saw Poirier suffer back-to-back losses for the very first time, which is a staggering feat for a fighter with 40 pro bouts and 31 appearances in the UFC.

Dustin Poirier's Legendary UFC Career

After going 1-1 with the WEC before the promotion’s roster was absorbed by the UFC, Poirier began his lengthy UFC tenure with a five-fight win streak that was capped off by a first-round submission against a debuting Holloway at UFC 143.

Dustin Poirier (blue gloves) reacts during the fight against Islam Makhachev (red gloves) during UFC 302 at Prudential Center. | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Following a 4-3 run that closed out with a knockout-loss to Conor McGregor, “The Diamond” moved up to the lightweight division in 2015 and established himself as an elite fighter at 155 lbs. and also solidified his status as one of the most consistently entertaining fighters on the entire UFC roster.

Poirier bested the likes of Jim Miller, Anthony Pettis, Justin Gaethje, and Eddie Alvarez from 2017-2018 before winning the interim lightweight belt in a rematch with Holloway at UFC 236. After coming up short in a title unification bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov, the Louisiana-native defeated Dan Hooker and closed out his trilogy with McGregor with back-to-back wins, and “The Notorious” still hasn’t returned to the Octagon since their third fight at UFC 264.

Dustin Poirier moves in for a hit against Conor McGregor during UFC 264 at T-Mobile Arena. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The 36-year-old’s final six UFC appearances included two more lightweight title shots as well as a rematch with Gaethje for the vacant “BMF” belt at UFC 291. Even after he failed to win an undisputed UFC title and closed out his career with a two-fight skid, Poirier will almost certainly be enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame at some point in the future.

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