Earlier this year, in July at UFC 318, Dustin Poirier officially ended his remarkable career of fourteen years in the Octagon after completing his trilogy with Max Holloway in front of his home crowd. Although ‘The Diamond’ ended his career with a loss, his legacy remains one of the most impressive in UFC history. Beyond his near miss with undisputed gold, Poirier built a resume full of victories about icons like Conor McGregor, Eddie Alvarez, Justin Gaethje and Dan Hooker.
But more than his victories, what truly defined the Louisiana native was his ruthless grit and willingness to leave it all in the cage. Fighting wasn’t just what he did, but it became part of who he was. Now, three months into his retirement, Poirier has opened up to a heartbreaking realization: Life without the adrenaline and rush of fighting has been far from easy.
Dustin Poirier admits that part of him died after he retired from MMA
In a recent social media exchange, Dustin Poirier opened up about the emotional challenges of adjusting to life after combat. When asked by a fan how he’s been doing since his retirement, ‘The Diamond’ admitted that the transition to a normal life hasn’t been as easy as it seems.
Months before hanging up his gloves, Poirier had shared his desire to slow down and enjoy a quieter life with his wife Jolie and their 8-year-old daughter Parker. In a joyful milestone, the couple also announced in May 2025 that they were expecting a baby boy, the first boy in the Poirier family in 30 years.
Since retiring from competition, the former interim lightweight champion has stayed in touch with fans, often replying to messages online. When a supporter wrote: “Hey @DustinPoirier, I’ll miss watching you fight. I started watching MMA with you, man. You’re a legend,” Poirier humbly replied: “Let them know.”
Another fan followed up and asked how much he misses the sport, to which Poirier gave a raw and heartfelt response: “Every day, the moment my eyes open, I’ve been doing it for twenty years, dedicating my life to it… A part of me has died.”
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Dustin Poirier on how much he misses fighting:
“Every day, the moment my eyes open, I have dedicated my life to it for twenty years. A part of me has died.” 😢
(via @Dustin Poirier) pic.twitter.com/cPH6r2CDJA
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 12, 2025
His words serve as a poignant reminder of how deeply fighting was woven into his identity, and how difficult it can be for even the toughest warriors to walk away from the only life they’ve ever known.
Fighters like BJ Penn, Anderson Silva and Tony Ferguson remind us how brutal the sport of MMA can be. They all perhaps stayed in the game too long and ended their legendary careers with heavy losses. This is something Poirier ultimately avoided.
However, a life without fighting can sometimes be difficult and dark. Even reigning featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski opened up about the dark side of fighting, admitting after his knockout loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 that his mental health had suffered and he had to compete on short notice just to exercise his demons.
Perhaps that’s why Poirier recently hinted at a possible boxing match against longtime rival Nate Diaz under the Zuffa Boxing banner. However, ‘The Diamond’ also shared an update suggesting the fight might not happen anytime soon.
Now two fights into his post-UFC boxing career, Diaz has faced both YouTuber boxer Jake Paul and his former Octagon foe Jorge Masvidal. After splitting those fights, losing to ‘The Problem Child’ but avenging his loss to the former BMF queen, the Stockton native does not appear to have another fight scheduled at the moment.
When a fan on social media asked him about the rumored boxing match with Diaz, Poirier kept his answer short but telling: “Crickets,” he wrote, indicating that Diaz will not continue the fight.
From the sounds of it, fans may have indeed seen the last of Dustin Poirier in the cage, and perhaps even missed what could have been a highly anticipated clash with his old rival from UFC 230 in 2018.
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