Chael Sonnen suspects 'pat on the head' motive behind Dustin Poirier's retirement talk, Daniel Cormier chimes in

Chael Sonnen has broken down Dustin Poirier's public contemplation about his potential retirement from MMA. Sonnen suggested that it's likely because Poirier is seeking positive reinforcement from others that he's still capable of competing at an elite level. UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier, too, chimed in on the same.

Poirier's MMA debut came in May 2009 and UFC debut in January 2011. An undisputed UFC title has eluded the Louisianian. The ex-interim UFC lightweight champion failed in all three of his attempts to capture the UFC lightweight title, last losing to reigning UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in June 2024.

Over his past few fights, Poirier has often teased retirement. He even signaled semi-retirement after the Makhachev defeat. Nevertheless, 'The Diamond' recently indicated that he's coming back for two fights, possibly against Justin Gaethje and Nate Diaz.

On ESPN MMA's Good Guy / Bad Guy, ex-UFC star Chael Sonnen and former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier discussed Dustin Poirier's future.

Sonnen alluded to Poirier's numerous impressive performances, including his victories over fellow MMA great Max Holloway. He implied that Poirier probably teases retirement because he knows most people would disagree with his decision and reassure him that he's still a top-tier combatant:

"I swear to goodness, I do feel that some of these guys, just so that we'll pat them on the head and tell them, 'No. You're so great.' I swear they'll say like, something bad about themselves to get the rest of us go, 'No. Hey, you've got more.' And I do feel that way sometimes."

He added:

"I imagine it is hard to go. And physically, Dustin has it. Mentally, Dustin has it. But he's got that little kid in him somewhere that wants us to constantly tell him, 'Hey, Dustin, you still got it.' Well, I'll buy, in, 'Dustin, you still got it.'"

Moreover, Sonnen cited combat sports megastars Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, and Jorge Masvidal. He appeared to opine that Dustin Poirier is a similarly big draw, particularly against the right opponent. Sonnen and Cormier seemingly concurred that Poirier's out of title contention for the foreseeable future and should be matched up accordingly.

Check out Chael Sonnen's comments below (6:40):

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Daniel Cormier cautions Dustin Poirier about potential dangers

During their conversation, Daniel Cormier referenced Dustin Poirier's recent tweet, wherein he hinted there's a fight announcement coming soon. Cormier questioned who the 35-year-old's opponent would be. 'DC' made an allusion to Poirier's feat of having fought for the undisputed title thrice, as well as his name recognition, and emphasized that Poirier's position comes with its own dangers.

Daniel Cormier named Rafael Fiziev, Renato Moicano, and Paddy Pimblett as up-and-coming lightweight contenders who'll be looking to fight Dustin Poirier, akin to how Benoit Saint Denis did:

"Because here's the dangers in being that guy that has fought for the belt three times, that carries the name recognition. Now you start getting more of those fights, like the Benoit Saint Denis." [9:29-minute mark of the aforementioned video]