5 blockbuster fights for Dustin Poirier before he retires

If Dustin Poirier had defeated Charles Oliveira at UFC 269 he would have had a legitimate case for fighter of the year and would've instantly become one of the hottest commodities in all of the UFC.

Instead, Poirier was submitted in the third round, leaving him in a very different position. While Poirier has won interim lightweight gold, his loss to Oliveira marked the second time 'The Diamond' has failed to win the undisputed UFC title.

The loss was understandably devastating to Poirier who has sacrificed so much over the years in pursuit of winning the world title. He has mentioned himself in interviews since the fight that there are very few opponents that currently would get him motivated and even hinted he may be considering retirement:

"It's just do I want to? That's the question I have to look in the mirror and answer. Do I want to do go down the road again? That answer will come in next couple days or weeks."

With that being said, it doesn't seem like his loss at UFC 269 needs to necessarily be the end of Poirier's championship pursuits. 'The Diamond' is still only 32, which is relatively young in the fight game, particularly considering Glover Teixeira won his first UFC title this year at 42.

Whether Poirier is able to get back into the UFC title picture again or not, there are certainly a number of potential fights for him that UFC fans would love to see. Here are five blockbuster fights for Dustin Poirier before he retires:

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#5. Dustin Poirier vs. Islam Makhachev

Makhachev is currently ranked No.4 in the lightweight division

Poirier's first undisputed shot came at UFC 242, when he lost via third-round submission to Khabib Nurmagomedov. While Nurmagomedov's retirement ended the possibility of a rematch against 'The Eagle', perhaps getting a measure of revenge against Khabib's current protégé, Islam Makhachev, would interest Poirier.

Makhachev has been making a name for himself and 2021 saw him become a legitimate contender in the lightweight division as he finished all three of his opponents via submission.

While Makhachev is currently scheduled to fight Beneil Dariush in February, if Makhachev were to lose that bout or another in the future; or if Poirier is able to climb back to the top of the division himself, we may just get a fight between the duo.

#4. Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje II

Gaethje is currently ranked No.1 in the lightweight division

In the build-up to Dustin Poirier's most recent fight, Justin Gaethje took a number of shots at him in the media. Gaethje claims that while he may have lost the first fight between the pair, it was Poirier and not himself who came out worse and that a potential rematch would go very differently.

Gaethje, to his credit, does appear to have greatly improved since the last time these two fought with his only loss coming at the hands of Khabib Nurmagomedov. His entertaining fighting style would also ensure plenty of fans would tune in to this potential rematch.

While Gaethje appears to be next in line for a lightweight title shot, Poirier is also indicating he is happy to take some time away from the sport. Should their paths cross in the future, this would be a massive bout bound to pique Poirier's interest.

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#3. Dustin Poirier vs. Colby Covington

Covington is currently ranked No.1 in the welterweight division

In the aftermath of his fight with Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier indicated that his future may not be at 155 lbs. Should he indeed pursue some fights in the welterweight division, a fight against Colby Covington would be a must-see.

Covington and Poirier do not like each other one bit and the animosity between the pair would make for some incredibly exciting interactions. While they used to be teammates at American Top Team, Covington has already directed a number of insults Poirier's way since splitting from the gym.

The bad blood here could easily be enough to get Poirier sufficiently interested in the bout. On top of that, not having to go through a brutal weight cut seems it would be appealing given his recent comments.

#2. Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor IV

McGregor is currently ranked No.9 in the lightweight division

While the talk of Poirier vs. McGregor IV has somewhat subsided in the aftermath of UFC 269, you have to think that Conor McGregor will be keen to one day get some revenge on the man who defeated him twice in 2021.

It no longer appears to be the next bout on the horizon for either man but the draw of a big pay-per-view bout with McGregor presents does not seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

On top of that, McGregor could enjoy being able to compete at 170 lbs, which would now make a degree of sense given Poirier's similar desire. A fourth chapter in the Poirier-McGregor rivalry is sure to do big business even if it were not to happen for some time.

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#1. Dustin Poirier vs. Nate Diaz

Nate Diaz is not currently ranked in the welterweight division

With Poirier already having a lengthy history of matchups with the UFC's biggest star, a fresh matchup with the second most popular fighter on the roster may be a very appealing proposition. Poirier recently stated in an interview that the only name that would be able to get him motivated at the moment was one Nate Diaz.

Diaz and Poirier both earned a lot of their mainstream popularity by pulling off impressive victories over 'The Notorious' Conor McGregor. They've also teased fighting each other on a number of occasions, even following UFC 269.

While Poirier now seems to be indicating that this fight is no longer imminent, Dana White indicated he would be open to setting up this clash.

Here's hoping we get to see this blockbuster matchup before either of these men step away from the UFC.