Dustin Poirier has added a familiar face and a more divisive one to his MMA Mount Rushmore ahead of his final fight at UFC 318.
Poirier is set to receive a warm welcome when he steps into the cage in front of his fellow Louisianans inside New Orleans’ Smoothie King Center this Saturday.
He’s headlining the card against Max Holloway, marking the end of an 18-year career that’s seen him become one of the sport’s most respected veterans.
With nearly two decades in the sport, Poirier has faced and observed some of MMA’s top talent, making him a credible voice in one of the sport’s ongoing debates. Now, ahead of his farewell fight, he was asked about who he’d put on his own Mount Rushmore.
Dustin Poirier picks the four greatest fighters of all time
Speaking to The Danza Project ahead of his final fight in New Orleans, Poirier was asked to weigh in on a familiar topic.
Plenty of names get thrown around when it comes to the MMA Mount Rushmore debate, and ‘The Diamond’ went with four picks that fans often mention. Among them was Khabib Nurmagomedov, one of his former opponents.
“Top four? (Jon) Jones, Khabib, (Georges) St-Pierre, and Anderson Silva,” Poirier said.
Poirier’s first shot at the undisputed lightweight title came against Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 in 2019. The Russian submitted him in that bout, marking the first of three unsuccessful attempts for Poirier to claim the belt.
He also gave a nod to a couple more legends who didn’t quite make his main list but still deserve recognition. He mentioned BJ Penn and Fedor Emelianenko as fighters whose primes were truly remarkable.
Dustin Poirier says his retirement will last longer than Jon Jones’
All four of the fighters named by Poirier were retired at the time, though Jones has since hinted at a comeback.
Shortly after Dana White had confirmed Jones’ retirement, ‘Bones’ announced plans to return in 2026 following a proposal from Donald Trump for a UFC event on the White House lawn.
Jones recently doubled down on his comeback intentions during an interview with TikToker Joy Of Everything.
“I can’t promise anyone anything, but I have a very strong feeling that I’ll be on that card,” Jones said. “I think it’s going to be historic. It will be as big as the ‘Thrilla in Manila’, or ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’, it’s up there with that. Essentially, it could be bigger than that.
“I would want to take on whoever is holding the belt at the end of the year. As of right now, the champion is Tom Aspinall, but we’ll see who the champion is at the end of the year.
“I feel like to have an American fight for a championship that night, I would put it all on the line…right now, I’m just trying to be a good citizen.”
Poirier appears set on making his retirement stick longer than Jones’. He has said only something as unlikely as a fourth title shot could tempt him back into fighting after this weekend.
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