UFC 302 News: Daniel Cormier Calls Out Dustin Poirier's Retirement Hints: 'Hate it'

Former UFC two-division champion Daniel Cormier is not amused with Dustin Poirier.

Zain Bando | May 26, 2024

Aug 7, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Daniel Cormier before the fight between Johnny Munoz and Jamey Simmonsduring UFC 265 at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

UFC 302 is six days away, which features Dustin Poirier and Islam Makhachev in the main event for Makhachev's lightweight title. Leading up to it, Daniel Cormier, an ex-UFC double-champion and commentator, isn't particularly pleased with Poirier's internal and external discussions about retirement from MMA with a win or loss in New Jersey.

In a video posted to YouTube nearly a full day ago, Cormier, who walked away from competition three years ago, said Poirier needs to reconsider his decision-making regardless of how the fight plays out.

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Daniel Cormier Calls Out Dustin Poirier

"I hate it for the idea that it could be almost over, and he recognizes that," Cormier said. "I don’t like when athletes — because I did it myself; I’m almost judging myself. I don’t love [it] when athletes put a timeline or a finishing point on a career that’s still actively going on. That is a hard thing to do.”

Cormier said life after retirement is not as sunny and rainbow-filled as fans may perceive it. According to him, fighters don't have to be as dedicated or disciplined because they aren't in the gym training for a fight on a daily basis, nor are they subject to the displeasures of weight-cutting, pre- and post-fight media obligations, or other appearances that may be required regularly because they simply do not have to.

Nevertheless, the fight with Makhachev, coming off back-to-back wins against former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, is Poirier's third crack at winning undisputed gold. Poirier lost to then-champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2019, followed by a second failed attempt against Charles Oliveira over two years later. Both losses came by submission.

Whether June 1 is the last time Poirier steps into the Octagon still remains to be seen, but regardless, his track record as one of the best lightweights in the world is undeniable.

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Published May 26, 2024

ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99