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According to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Dustin Poirier might not be as hungry as he once was. 'The Diamond' challenged Charles Oliveira for the lightweight strap in the main event at UFC 269. Poirier submitted to a rear-naked choke from Oliveira in the third round, losing his second lightweight title shot.
Prior to this Dustin Poirier dropped his first shot at the title against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 in September 2019. Interestingly, Nurmagomedov recently weighed in on what he thinks has gone wrong for the Louisiana native.
Nurmagomedov believes the waning 'fire' is what prevents Poirier from digging deep when required. 'The Eagle' made the following statement while discussing Dustin Poirier in a recent press conference appearance:
'There is a fire, a hunger, when you want it very much. Then comes a time when you still want it but not so hard. It happens when the fire went out, but there are still numbers in a contract. You think, 'Wait, I can earn this money in a fight.' The fighters have such moments. I saw this. After the fight he [Dustin Poirier] said he needs to think, does he need it at all. If such thoughts came to his mind, it means he will win but he will win and lose. He will not go to the end when it will be necessary. Sometimes you look at the athlete and see how fast he changes. I say it to my close friends. While there is time you should stay active and keep fighting.'
Watch Khabib Nurmagomedov discuss Dustin Poirier below:
Dustin Poirier unsure if he wants UFC gold
After two failed bids at UFC gold, Dustin Poirier seems unsure if he wants another go at it. After his loss to Oliveira at UFC 269 Poirier indicated that he isn't sure of making another title run. Poirier said at the UFC 269 post-fight presser:
“I can do anything I put my mind to. I can fight for another belt. I can go on another streak. I can claw and climb and get back to wherever I want to be. It’s just, ‘Do I want to?’ That’s the question I’ve got to look in the mirror and answer. Do I want to do it again? Do I want to go down that road again? That answer will come in the next couple days or couple weeks."
Watch Dustin Poirier's appearance at the UFC 269 post-fight presser below:
