Dustin Poirier gets 100% real about never becoming undisputed champion ahead of Max Holloway retirement fight: "That's my story"

When Dustin Poirier walks away from MMA after his UFC 318 swansong, he will do so without ever touching undisputed glory in the Dana White-helmed promotion. While that's a hard pill to swallow for any top fighter, 'The Diamond' is trying to keep a positive outlook.

In an appearance on the New York Post Sports' AGAINST THE CAGE podcast, ahead of his trilogy fight with Max Holloway, the former interim lightweight champion addressed the topic, saying:

"I did everything I could to become undisputed champion. I put myself in positions multiple times to get my hand raised and win that belt in the UFC, and just fell short. Just got beat by really good guys, made mistakes, and it is what it is. That’s life, that’s my story. I wouldn't change anything; I'm proud of the work that I've put in. I'm proud of the things I've accomplished and the life that I've made."

Check out Dustin Poirier's comments below:

Poirier fought for the undisputed lightweight strap thrice in his career. His first attempt came against the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 in 2019. While 'The Diamond' almost locked in a guillotine on 'The Eagle', the Dagestani rallied in the third round to secure a submission win via rear-naked choke.

In his second shot at undisputed glory at UFC 269, jiu-jitsu extraordinaire Charles Oliveira submitted him in the third round, again via rear-naked choke.

His final title fight was a much more competitive affair. When he faced Nurmagomedov's protégé Islam Makhachev at UFC 302, 'The Diamond' gave the Dagestani a run for his money, effectively neutralizing his wrestling threat for most of the fight.

In the final round, Makhachev used a variation of an angle pick to take Poirier to the ground before finishing the fight via Brabo choke.

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Dustin Poirier game to answer Max Holloway's iconic call to battle

Max Holloway pointing to the ground, urging his opponents to engage in a slug fest in the middle of the octagon, is perhaps the most iconic call to battle in UFC history.

The most electrifying result of 'Blessed's' trademark call out came when he KOd Justin Gaethje after duking it out in the dying seconds of their UFC 300 fight.

During a recent interview, Shakiel Mahjouri asked Dustin Poirier if he would answer Holloway's battle call at UFC 318. Without a moment's hesitation, Poirier said:

"Dude, of course, I mean you're talking to a guy who, I pointed at the ground against Max in our last fight, like what kind of question is that?"

Check out Dustin Poirier's comments below (4:44):