"Man has seen and suffered enough" - MMA fans back Dustin Poirier's stellar advice for new generation of fighters

In a heartfelt sit-down interview with Megan Olivi, Dustin Poirier opened up about the weight of chasing greatness and the emotional cost of being a professional fighter. The bare-bones conversation reflected on what it took to keep going and what he wishes for the next generation.

Poirier spoke at length about his wife Jolie, who gave him structure and support when he had none, and his daughter Parker, who made him see that fighting was not everything.

During the conversation, Olivi asked Poirier to share a message for the next generation of fighters. Poirier replied:

"Go to college."

Check out Dustin Poirier's comments below:

The message resonated with his fans on X, who wrote:

"Man has seen and suffered enough."

"This is absolutely invaluable. Fighting, if anything, should be something that you use to add money [to] your already existing income source. Not your sole source of income. It's statistically improbable to reach the ranks where you get paid a sizable amount for fighting, as well as not feasible to fight enough to make up for a full-time income."

"Dustin is a legend already, sad to see him retire, but happy for him to spend more time with family!"

"The odds of big paydays decrease every year due to competition. Everyone is so advanced in training that you can't reasonably assume you'll make a dollar from fighting."

"Fighting has a higher ceiling, but very few athletes make it to that level. The average college grad makes more than 90% of the UFC roster."

Check out some of the fan reactions below:

Fans react to Dustin Poirier's advise for aspiring fighters. [Screenshots courtesy: @ChampRDS on X]

Poirier is gearing up to take on Max Holloway for the third time at UFC 318. This will be the last fight of his career, and Poirier would be keen on punctuating the moment with a statement win in front of his home crowd in New Orleans, Louisiana.

---

Dustin Poirier brings UFC 318 home for an emotional final fight

Dustin Poirier pushed hard behind the scenes to make his last UFC fight happen in Louisiana. Coordinating with the governor and UFC officials took months, but he got it done.

He will now headline UFC 318 in New Orleans, his first fight in the state in over a decade. For Poirier, this means everything since most of his friends and family never had the means to travel for his fights.

Sharing his candid thoughts on the significance of the event in the aforementioned conversation with Megan Olivi, Poirier said:

"I have a lot of family and friends who don't have the means to travel all over the world and go to these fights. But this one, and it being my last one, being home in Louisiana, New Orleans, it's incredible... I carry the Louisiana flag proudly, and people from there know I do. So I think that's why I get the support."

Check out Dustin Poirier's comments below (4:40):