MMA legend Dustin Poirier is contemplating a retirement after pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachow retained his UFC light-weight title at UFC 302 in New Jersey.
The Russian gained his 14th straight battle below the UFC banner by choking D’Arce within the third minute of the fifth spherical, handing Poirier his third loss within the battle for the belt.
With former US President Donald Trump within the crowd, Makhachow hit 88 huge photographs – 147 in complete – and 5 putts en path to victory.
Poirier, 35, believes this may increasingly have been his final likelihood to win the belt, and the favored fighter – who was briefly sedated after being knocked out within the fifth and remaining spherical on the Prudential Heart in Newark – is now contemplating hanging up the gloves.
Makhachev hits Poirier throughout the second spherical (AP Photograph/Frank Franklin II)
“If I battle once more, what’s going to I battle for? Simply to battle? I did it 50 instances,” Poirier stated.
“I’ve a bit of lady, I am 35, it might be something. I feel it might be the whole lot.’
Makhachev, in the meantime, believes the time has come for him to get a shot at changing into a two-time world champion by transferring as much as middleweight.
“That is my dream. I wish to battle for the second belt. I wish to really feel that vitality once more, I want a brand new one,” stated the UFC light-weight champion.
A bloodied Makhachov celebrates defeating Poirier to retain his UFC light-weight belt (AP Photograph/Frank Franklin II)
Earlier, ex-UFC middleweight champion Shawn Strickland scored a cut up choice win over former title contender Paulo Costa.
The 33-year-old American retained the highest spot within the middleweight rankings, getting back from a title loss towards Drichus du Plessis.
Kevin Holland wanted only one minute and 34 seconds to win his middleweight bout towards Mikhal Alekseychuk by way of submission.
Additionally on the primary card, Niko Worth and Randy Brown claimed unanimous choice victories within the middleweight division, defeating Alex Maron and Eliseu Zaleski dos Santos, respectively.
Conor McGregor will return to motion at UFC 303
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UFC CEO and President Dana White Reveals Conor McGregor Will Return to the Octagon After Three-12 months Absence
Former UFC light-weight champion Conor McGregor will return to the Octagon later this month when he takes on Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in Las Vegas.
It has been three years since McGregor final fought within the UFC after breaking his left leg within the first spherical of his trilogy battle with Dustin Poirier.
The UFC has confirmed the featherweight bout for June 29, and it’ll go 5 rounds on the finish of Worldwide Battle Week.
McGregor has not fought within the UFC since he broke his left tibia and fibula towards Poirier in 2021
McGregor, who’s 22-6 in his MMA profession, has only one win since changing into the UFC’s first two-weight champion in 2016.
Opponent Chandler, who served as McGregor’s rival coach on the 2023 season of The Final Fighter, and UFC govt Dana White admitted after the blockbuster announcement throughout the UFC 300 press convention that the battle took time to occur.
“There are various things occurring behind the scenes, it is all timing,” White stated.
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Earlier than McGregor received to the UFC, he took Cage Warriors by storm. Watch him turn out to be a champion within the promotion
“Chandler was prepared, however Connor wasn’t. We talked about it not too long ago at one of many press conferences, he had numerous commitments that he needed to take care of.
“What you don’t need him to do is take a battle when he is received a bunch of commitments and he cannot put together for the battle 100%.
“It is by no means exhausting with Connor, I say that on a regular basis. Connor was an excellent companion and straightforward to take care of. We’re again, he is a wise dude and Conor is a die-hard UFC man and will likely be till he retires and past.”
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