Video
Original Description
Dustin Poirier sits down with Megan Olivi ahead of his final fight at UFC 318 vs. Max Holloway for the BMF title.
0:00 Getting started in MMA
3:47 UFC 318 in New Orleans
7:42 Personal growth
10:33 Fighting Holloway
12:32 Conor McGregor fights
15:24 Final fight expectations
18:24 Behind the scenes
23:59 Celebrating the wins
26:51 The last walkout
28:38 Future plans
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Video Transcript
Dustin, thank you so much for joining me today. We're going to do a little introspective here. We're going to go all through your career, but I want to
start at the beginning. How and why did you even get started into MMA?
I'm not even sure. I I wrestled like, you know, wrestling is not huge in Louisiana. It's football and baseball.
So, wrestling, they have it at high schools and stuff, but my mom put me in wrestling when I was 9 years old, and I
wrestled for like two years, maybe two and a half years at a private club locally. So, I had a little bit of
understanding of wrestling. Um, and then I kept playing football until
I was in high school and uh started boxing when I was 17. And I guess just and I knew this is the time like UFC was
really MMA was was really blowing up, you know, this is like around the time of the anniversary right now of Forest
Griffin, Stephan Bonner, you know, like it was starting to cross over to be mainstream, more mainstream. And uh I
didn't even know they had mixed martial arts gyms in Louisiana. That's how early the sport was for me. And I ran into
some guys who were training their boxing for mixed martial arts at a boxing gym. And I was like, "No way. Where you guys
train?" You know, there's an MMA gym somewhere and uh went to their gym and never went back to the boxing gym.
That's amazing. Would you say that athletics is popular in your hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana? Oh my god. Yes.
Yes. I mean, football is, you know, it's die hard out there. LSU, New Orleans
Saints, you know, even the uh raging cinjun, you know, UL University of Louisiana. Football is is like religion
in in in the South. So, how were you as a football player? Good. I honestly I I
probably would have been a lot better if I would have went to school, but I I was good at at an early age. Okay. Tell me
about your hometown. How did Lafayette shape you into the person that we see today? I I feel like it's so repetitive
because I've been asked this question, but I say the same thing every time. It's just it's uh a lot of blueco collar
people, a lot of hard workers, and a lot of manual labor being done out there. Like people know how to work hard. Um
and we have a great sense of community. That's why I moved back when my daughter was born. I wanted her to be raised where I where I was raised. You know,
people uh Lafayette, Louisiana loves Lafayette. We we support local and uh I
think that's important to have that sense of community, especially raising a kid. How would you say that that sense
of community kind of took a kid who had a little bit of trouble growing up in those younger years into this figure in
the community that we see today? You're constantly doing things to improve those in the community. How did they help
shape that transition in your life? I just uh you know, I think a a big part
of it was my mother growing up. Uh my house was was a foster home, so we had kids in and out uh
living with us and just trying trying to leave the place better than
you found it is kind of just ingrained in me over the years with my mom and
with good having good people around me. So that's just been my mindset the the whole time. But uh giving back to the
community and doing things like that just kind of really happened organically. Actually, I was living here in South Florida and I was getting ready
to move back home and I had all this fight. We're packing up stuff, filling boxes, putting it in a U-Haul, and I had
I mean, you know how it is being married to a fighter. I had drawers filled with shorts, you know, from 10 years ago in
fights and gloves and a police officer lost his line uh life in the line of duty right by the high school me and my
wife went to. And um he he left behind a a wife and kids. And I was like, you
know what? It just I found out about it during the move and I was like, well, we're packing all this stuff up. What if I auction this off? So, that was the
spark that started the whole thing. Wow. Absolutely incredible. And I know you're impacting that community that you grew
up in, but so many others around the country as well. The final fight is not in Lafayette, but it's not that far.
It's in New Orleans. It's in your home state of Louisiana. What was it like to be able to get that done? It was tough.
It was tough. And it's been it's been an ongoing battle for months and months and months, you know, having to bite my tongue every who you fight next, are you
going to retire, where's it going to be at, who's it, you know, but um behind the scenes, just getting Louisiana on
board, getting the governor on board, the UFC, even making them interested in coming back to Louisiana is tough. You
know, these guys have a schedule. They're planned out for the year. There's so much more than goes goes on behind the scenes that people know. But,
uh, we got it done. Is it going to be extra special because it's there? Yeah. for for me. I mean, I've I've only
fought one time in my home state in the UFC and uh that was 10 years ago. Daniel
was supposed to be on the card. I think uh maybe Dan Henderson fought. It was great. That was like one of my best times ever cuz I have a lot of family
and friends who don't have the means to travel all over the world and go to these fights. But this one and it being
my last one being home in Louisiana, New Orleans, it's incredible. Listen, I've
seen the reaction for you at Saints games and that's a totally different sport. Uh, I can't even imagine what
it's going to be like for you to actually compete and be the guy on top the marquee there. I I'm so excited for
you because just the reaction that you get in in New Orleans, I mean, outside of competition itself for something
totally different is massive. Thank you so much. Yeah, I carry the Louisiana flag proudly and like people from there
know I do. So, that's I think that's why I get the support and I've been fighting a long time. They've got to watch my my journey. But bringing it home and where
it all started, you know, I I love Louisiana. New Orleans is a special place to me and I kind of I wear it
proudly that I'm the reason UFC is coming back to Louisiana, you know. Uh I
I'm I'm proud of that. Yeah. As you should be. Now I This is really weird because I've known you for so long and
yet I have no idea how you got the nickname the diamond. Crazy. Tim Crater. Do you remember Tim? Yeah, I love Tim
Crater. He used to train in his gym, right? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, he he was my first real jiu-jitsu instructor. Uh,
longtime friends. I cornered him in the UFC in some of his fights, but uh, he he gave me the nickname. I actually got
signed to the WEC. I never I fought amateur and pro and never had a nickname. And WC sent a form over. I
don't even think I had a computer. I had to fill it out at his office at the gym. Uh, and he was filling it out and it it
had a spot for a nickname and he put it in and sent it. I didn't even That's exactly how it happened. I actually love
that. Yeah. You mentioned the WC. You know, I love the WC. I'm one of the last
guys. Yes. Who I was just talking about this with somebody the other day. I was trying to think, well, if Cerrone comes
back, but who else is in the UFC right now? I mean, that's a that's an
excellent question cuz at a point there was only like three people left. I thought that's a great question. I mean,
the blue canvas representative, you Oh, man. I have some of those those blue gloves. I'm never going to let them go. No, I know. They're the ones that stay
in our house, too. Um, you make your debut in 2010 and you're 7 and0 at this point. You know, the WC was the home for
Smaller Guys. This was one of the big organizations before they merged with the UFC. They were still owned by the UFC. But you you come in here and you
get signed to this big promotion finally after, you know, putting together some massive wins. What was that experience
like for you? It was surreal. I mean, walking out in the MGM Grand with the
UFC gloves on, like did it was amazing. You know, my first win in the UFC is a night I'll never forget
cuz guys who were with me were were guys in my corner who I grew up fighting with. We've been training partners for a
long time and it was it was crazy. You know, I was just looking back on it like I was just a kid, you know. I'm thankful
for the journey, but my first fight in the UFC I that night I'll never forget. UFC 125 also. That was like an amazing
card. Yeah. Frankie Fod, great. I mean, it was a great card. Yeah. So, were you
did you feel like you were nervous when these bigger opportunities came about? What was what was mentally going through your mind? You have the WC, then you
guys merge officially with the UFC. You make your UFC debut on January 1st. Was it Tuesday? Yeah. Um, what was what was
it like for you, you know, in terms of like personal growth in those experiences? I
it's tough to say like the mindset I was in back then, but I was young and really
believed I was the best in the world. Um, and ignorance is bliss. So, I didn't overthink it. Honestly, I overthink
things now more than I did back then. You know, I was just going with the with the motion fighting. It was another
fight. It was a big deal in the UFC, obviously. But, and I stepped in for
Aldo got hurt. He the guy I made my debut against was the number one contender. This is before rankings. He was going to fight Aldo. Aldo got hurt
and they I don't know if they thought I was a tuneup fight or let's keep him busy, but I had a huge opportunity here
to come into the UFC fighting the number one guy and really make a name for myself, you know. Uh
it's incredible. And you did it like it was not even a thing. Yeah, I unanimous for sure. I would have liked to put him
away, but Fair enough. Fair enough. I mean, when you made your WC debut though, that was when the the first time
you ever suffered a loss professionally. Yeah. Was that hard to deal with? Very.
Very. And you know what? Uh, just flying to V, you know, I've never
been to Vegas really. So, flying to Vegas, fighting at a casino, this was a big deal to me. I finally made it. You
know, of course, I've been watching WC for a long time. And now I'm standing on the mat that I've been watching for
years. It It was crazy. Um, but I'm thankful for the journey, you
know. I'm I'm I'm thankful for it all. And uh my debut in the WC, Danny Castillo, you know, uh and I still run
into him sometimes at fights. He's cornering guys and working at Alpha Male. So, super nice guy. Yeah, he beat
me, grinded me out, and I just never seen that before. I never seen that level of wrestling before. Um we don't have that in Louisiana. Did you feel
like you learned what was needed to find the successes then after that
experience? Yeah, I actually became friends with Kurt Pelgro and
started going to Jersey and working on my wrestling. He would come down to Louisiana um just to bring in a different set of skills that I didn't
see at home. And then eventually, uh I I had to change gyms. I kind of I don't want to say outgrew, but it was a it was
a mutual decision on me, Tim Crater, like you you need to you need to get out of here. Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, just
the bodies alone and the training partners alone to push you. I was a a full-time fighter and these guys were
like hobby, you know, I and I'm trying to fight the best guys in the world and it just didn't didn't work. The fight
the best guys in the world, you have. I mean, you're a legend in this game because not only have you put together
these impressive wins, but you've you fought a who's who of this sport. You've become one of the biggest stars that
there is. I want to talk about some of the opponents that you've faced. There's there's kind of a recurring theme with a
couple of them, but like Max Holloway, this is a guy that you faced. I remember the first time you two fought and it was
so interesting. Um, you were both so young and the way that ended. I mean,
what can you say about those couple of fights that you had with him and what those experiences were like? Um, he was
like the last I was his first fight in the UFC. He took the fight on short notice. I was supposed to fight Ricardo
Lamus, then I was going to fight Ronnie Yaya. Both guys got hurt somehow and Max filled in. He was like 20 or 20. He's
super young. Uh this was I think 13 12 13 years ago, but I didn't know a whole
lot about him. I couldn't find footage, you know, he only had a few pro fights, but obviously
for for for the right reason they brought him in. He's a legend. Um so it was kind of a a switch up for me.
You know, I was training to fight Ricardo. I was training to fight a jiu-jitsu guy, now a kickboxer, a tall guy. Like just so much different things
went on that training camp. But that was at at the time of my career when I just got into the UFC and uh I was a year in
and I was on a win streak, you know, maybe three, four wins in a row and uh I would I would have fought anybody they
put in front of me. That submission was really interesting, too. I remember we did an interview afterwards and I
specifically had you walk me through it because we were in the media room and a lot of people were like, "How did he just do that?" I mean, that young in
your career, you were already pulling off things that people were amazed by. I I've been doing jiu-jitsu for a long
time. like just because I don't use it that much or I've been submitted in fights like I used to compete at IBJJF
all the time. I've you know earned my stripes and and did the local
competitions and train jiu-jitsu for a very very long time. But that submission was actually it happened because of a
fault on on my technique. I didn't I had an arm bar extended. I didn't throw my leg over to keep his head down and he
just sat up into a triangle. So, you know, he threw me a layup right there. Yeah, it was it was a highlight for
sure. Um, you know, you you go from Max who you face a couple of times now. There's also a guy in Conor McGregor
that maybe, you know, those later fights is is what made the whole world stop and
take notice. Um, from the kid who fought Conor the first time to those last two
fights, I mean, what was that evolution like for you? It was obviously I got better as as a fighter. I mean, that was
how many years was that? Seven maybe. I don't know. It was it was a long time between those fights, but I've had a lot
of big fights in the UFC, main events. Um, and I just knew who I was. I was
more acquainted with myself at that time. Like the the the talking and all that stuff didn't get under my skin and get in my head like it did the first
time. You know, the first time I fought him, everything he said I would go to sleep thinking about. And the next two
fights, it was just noise. At that point, you know, I fought everybody at that point. And I I knew all that
mattered was when the bell rings. When you first faced Max and Connor, was there ever a time you could have
convinced yourself like, "Yeah, we'd be three of the biggest stars the UFC's ever seen?" No. No. And even when Connor
beat me, like, of course, I watched his his rise, he was on fire, coming in, knocking people out. And even after he
beat me, I was like, "Ah, I don't think he's he he beat me." And I was like, I don't
think this guy is who he says he is. And then he went on to do the things he's done. And I could have and on the Max side like I could have never after me
Armbar and Triangle and Max when he was a young kid to go on to win championships and be around this long and hold all these records. No clue. No
clue. It's kind of amazing honestly what you guys have accomplished. Yeah, we've been around a long time. Yeah. Yeah. Max
Holloway is a guy you've fought before. Um seems like you like trilogies now.
How did this come together that he would be the final opponent? I'm uh I don't even know how this came together. Um but
yeah, I've been in in some trilogies now. I guess this one's different. Usually it's like one in one or you
know, I'm two and0 on Max, but he's a legend and a great fighter and a great champion and like we spoke about
earlier, just see the things he's done in his career from that young kid I fought in his debut all the way full
circle. I was his first fight in the UFC. Now he's going to be my last fight in the UFC. So, it's just uh
it's crazy. But I would when I laid the gloves down uh in July,
there's nobody else like that I would rather have fought my last fight than Max Holloway. I was going to say, was
there like a particular standard that you had for a final opponent? Yeah, it was for me in my mindset was like
legends only. It's got to be a legend only. and uh Max ticks all those boxes and knocking out Gachi and I know he
just lost to Seapora but he's still he's in his prime right now and one of the longtime champions and th those are the
guys those are the guys that I want on my resume. Do you feel like and this might be a silly question but would you
rather get a quick finish here? Is this one where you want to have 25 minutes to work inside the octagon one final time?
I'm going to try my best to be in a moment on fight weekend just cuz it's the last time I'm ever going to feel these morning jitters of fight day and
walking into the arena. I'll never feel this again. So, I I I want to put on a show. I want
to go out with a bang and and I want it to be fight of the knife fight of the year. Yeah. I want to I'm I'm expecting stitches. I've got to ask you this just
as somebody who's seen things on the inside as well. What about the final weight cut?
This So, this will be the last time I'm ever 155 pounds in my life. I can I can
promise you that. Are we still going to be in shape or are we just going straight diabetes? Listen, listen. I'm
getting on steroids. I'm once your sada stops knocking on my door and I lay the gloves down, I'm getting jacked and tan.
I'm Well, I'm glad I asked that. Yeah. Yeah. That's the truth. My wife's like, "No, you're not. I'm getting on it."
That is so funny. That's the honest truth. When you look at this incredible resume
that you have put together, is there a fight or an opponent and maybe it lies in what we just discussed that really
stands out to you the most in terms of like career definfining or even favorite?
I mean, beating Connor in Abu Dhabi after seven years of him talking and
posting pictures of when he knocked me out and all that just that it felt right. It felt good and especially at
the time we were at quarantining and all the craziness going on. It just felt like it was uh it was meant to be. When
they called me with that fight, I was I knew I was going to win. I didn't care what he did or what he said or whoever
was across from me under those lights that night. I was going to get my hand raised. Um
yeah. How did life change for you after that win? A lot more opportunities business-wise.
Like obviously you beat one of the biggest stars in the the biggest star in the sport at the time that we've ever
seen. Um everything comes with that is more opportunities business-wise. People
wanted me on TV and wanted to interview me and it was great. It was great for business. Yeah, absolutely. Okay, so we
had 145, 155, and even 170. What weight class for you has been best? I've never
fought in the UFC at 170. I only have one in your career though, right? I do have one fight at 170 pounds. My first
fight ever. This was like 2006 or 2007. I fought it. I weighed in 168. Didn't even cut weight. Yeah. I didn't even
make it anymore. No, I weighed 168 already, you know. Um 55 is is where I'm I feel at home. Yeah.
45 was was a was a struggle. It was tough. How did you do it, Dustin? It was tough. Yeah, it was tough. I mean, the
lifestyle change had to be completely different to be a featherweight. Yeah, it it I had to even outside of camp, I
had to live a certain way and watch calories and that's no way to that's no no way to live, you know. I was measuring everything. That's okay in
fight camp, but year round you can't do you get to burn out. You just get burned out. That actually leads me into the
next question, and I promise you there is a reason for it. Do you have any sort of behind thescenes story or a memory
that maybe the public isn't aware of? Even like, oh, I battled through an injury before this fight and I had a huge victory or Oh, I have a bunch.
Yeah. What what stands out to you when you think about the stuff the general public might not know about you and and your career? I have a talking about
injuries going into fights. I mean when I fought Bobby Green in LA, I had a broken foot. Went into that fight with a
broken foot. Um I kicked somebody in the elbow and like two weeks before um the
Max Holloway fight in Atlanta for the interim belt, I had a lacerated bicep. I
Yeah, I don't know if anybody ever noticed, but like between rounds I'm I'm like shaking my arm. I threw a punch and
a guy blocked like this and my bicep missed and my my arm missed and the the
scans showed like a slice like it it wasn't a torn bicep. It sliced my muscle like somebody hit me with a hatchet.
Like my whole arm was was black. All the blood drained down. So I had that uh the
my last fight, the Islam fight, I had two broken ribs going into the fight and I knew it was going to be a wrestling grind. My wife wanted me to pull out of
the fight. Mike Brown wanted me to pull out the fight but I I couldn't. Yeah. Uh, Gameamrot broke my ribs like right
right before fight week. Damn it. It was an accident. It was What's crazy though, it was an arm bar. It was just my arm
was was pulled weird and I did like a hitchhiker. I was trying to roll out and then my ribs just popped. So, it it was
a crazy accident. All right. What about positively? Is there a memory or a moment behind the scenes involving some
fight that you're like, "Oh, man. I had like the best afterparty or I had I don't know, just something positive about that we wouldn't know." We always
do it big after fights, win or loss, you know, it's always a celebration of life. But, uh, something that like positive
that really jumps out to me is is my first bonus. Uh, I think it was Max Holloway. I got a submission of the
night. That was back when they did No, they still No, they do performance of the night now, but they and it was like
a $65,000 check. And, you know, I wasn't making great money. Uh, my wife was in school. I had bought a house. like
getting that check, getting out of getting out of debt, paying off my wife's car, like
Lorenzo, this was back in the day when he come in and give you a check handwritten and uh just unbelievable. A
young kid to see that 65,000 was life-changing for me at that time. The Fertittas definitely changed a whole lot
of lives by the way they handled some of those things. Yeah. Um, I just have to tell you the reason I even brought up
this topic is we were talking about weight classes and something that will always stand out to me um was you and
the gum when you were fighting at 145 and I've told you this before, but you were fighting at 145 and you would tell
me about the flavored gum that you found cuz that's all I could have. Yes. And it was like you were describing a full meal
to me at this great restaurant, but it was like one tiny little trident of a flavor that like you found online. Then
they started making like dessert ones. They had like key lime pie. I'm like, "Oh, this is the best." Yes. And you really And you were genuinely like so
pumped about it. No, it was it was for real. Yes. I was barely eating. I was, you know, Yes. I'll never forget. And I
just remember thinking like, "Oh my god, he's got to eat soon." But yeah, um you mentioned Jolie. I mean, everybody who's
been around you has been around Jolie um through your entire career. She is honestly just such a gem. She's such a
light whenever she walks into the room, but she is somebody that has been by your side since well before you even found success inside the Octagon or the
WC. To have her be in that passenger seat through this whole journey, what has that been like? It's um
I can't honestly I can't even put it into words, but I can what I have with with my wife, the journey of fighting
and and self-discovery through fighting and just life is like I could never do this again with another person. we have
something that can never be replicated in my life. Like it it's something that uh I hope everybody finds. You know,
she's my best friend. What would you say is good advice for a partner who is
maybe watching this and their their significant other is whether it's MMA or something else at a high level. They
have these dreams and aspirations. What do you feel like Jolie is able to do right and bring to the table for you to be supportive? For me, she's always been
an anchor. You know, she's always been an anchor. like when I was a young kid fighting uh we moved in together at 18
years old so I had a reason to be home not partying I had a reason you know she's always been an anchor for me and
she's believed in me I've said this before as another more than I believed in myself at a lot of times in my career
um I don't want to get emotional me too yeah uh she's my best friend you know
yeah and she is the best and so sweet pee we love Parker so much um it was
really special when you brought her to New Jersey. She's flying out here. I can't wait cuz it I love being around her. She's just like the coolest kid and
she gets it. But when she was born, you were still young in your career. I mean, what was that like to I was in fight
camp when she was born. What was that like? It was a it was a, you know,
everything changed. Everything got kind of put in perspective. Like I started after becoming a father, I realized like fighting was who I was and what I did.
And after becoming a fighter, I realized that fighting is just something I do. It's not everything. Uh
yeah, the day she was born is the best best day of my life. I bet. Yeah. What if she
says, "Dad, I think I want to fight." Nah, she What's crazy is the day she was born, it was the rematch with Nate Diaz
and Conor McGregor. I I got like some food dropped off at the hospital. She was born a few hours ago. We're in the
hotel room. I'm I'm watching pay-per-view in the hotel room. So, she's born into fighting. She She
doesn't want anything to do with it. Yeah. No, she doesn't want anything to do with it. It's my girl. Yeah. smart girl. You have always had such a good
perspective on on fighting and on wins and losses. Um, do you feel like truly
with all of these victories you've had and these massive opponents and these huge shows, do you ever feel like you
truly let yourself celebrate the wins? You know, uh,
Teddy Atlas told me one time we were talking and it's something that stuck out to me that I'll never forget. He said, we were talking about my career
and just uh he he said, "It's hard to see the picture when you're standing that close to the frame." And I feel
like I'm still close to the frame. So, I I one day I I hope I can step back and
and really look back at the stuff I've done uh and and and really be grateful. I I'm and I'm grateful, not that I'm
not, um but really from where I came from to to where I made it in in
fighting and the guys I fought. Uh, I think one day when when the smoke
clears and I'm really done fighting, I can look back and be proud of everything. You know, I'm too close to the frame. No, it's
it's hard. And I often feel like in my position in both per my personal life and my professional life, I'll speak to
you guys after fights and you do amazing things and there's still part of you that doesn't feel the joy, right? And
I'm just, you know, always been curious, can you feel 100% joyful after those things? you know, getting a win, it's
it's a relief in the moment, but as soon as that night's over and you fly back home Sunday, Monday, you're like, what's
next? So, you you get a couple days relief uh weights off my shoulders and
then it's it's what you're right back into the fire. And I think you have to have that, you know, you can't like celebrate wins too long or losses, you
know? Yeah. When you don't get your hand raised, you're always so honest and you always do interviews and you're always
talking about it. like you don't shy away from the fact that maybe it didn't go your way, but how do you personally
deal with those times as well? Horrible. Horrible. Uh I'm a Everybody's their own worst
critic, but I beat myself up, you know. I do after I lose. It's It's tough. It's tough on me. Uh
but time heals all. And uh I I've always my whole career anytime I took a L, I tried to get back in the gym and kind of
just drown it out. Drown those thoughts and feelings out with more work. I'm going to get better. I'm going to I'll be back in the win column. You know,
I've never lost two fights in a row. And I think that's partially credit to to jumping right
back in the gym, trying to tighten up gaps. Don't make the same mistake twice. And yeah, what would your advice be to
the next generation of fighters who want to live this lifestyle, but they're going to face the challenges of both the
highs and lows of this sport?
That's believe in yourself. It's it it's
go to college. That's that's my advice to them. Go to college. I think that's great advice. Great
advice. As you think about the final bow, the final walk to the octagon.
It's hard no matter what. There'll be good and bad no matter what during fight week. But what goes through your mind
right now as you think about making the last walk to the UFC octagon? I'm scared of it. I'm scared of it. It's uh it's
bittersweet, you know. I've done this longer than I haven't. Uh
and and what what what really I beat myself up. I want to say beat myself up. I spin my wheels for sure. I think about
it all the time. It's like I know I have a lot more to give. I'm leaving a lot of money on the table. I'm leaving great
fights on the table, but it's like am I going to be the That's the reason
I'm I'm walking away is like am I going to be the world champion? You know how to get another title shot? You know,
I've had three, right? I mean, to to get another one is is going to be tough. And
I don't know if I have it in me to to put together that win streak to do, but I have great fights left in me. So, I'm walking away at I think my best right
now. You know, I just fought Islam tooth and nail. Had a great fight and I feel like I can still beat it. I can beat him, I think. Um, but it's just time.
I'm a father. I want to have another kid. Uh, I want to do things outside of the octagon. And if I'm not going to be
the world champion, then I'm then I'm just showing up for a paycheck. And that's not who I want to be. Of course, the money's great, you know, but I don't
want to disrespect the sport like that and hold up the rankings and if if I'm fighting, it's always been to to be the
world champion, to be the best in the world. And maybe I'll hit the ceiling and and you know, my ceiling and uh I I
don't want to just fight for a check. I want to be the best. So,
it's it's bittersweet. I'm still digesting it all, you know, and and I'm sure I will for a long time. No, absolutely. And I think it's really
admirable to share that perspective as well. Do you think that you will still
be involved in mixed martial arts in some capacity or do you want to ride off into the sunset and never see anybody
around the sport again? No, I I love the sport. I'm a big I watch every fight,
not U not just UFC, every organization, every I I watch everything. I'm a huge fan of the sport and I love it and
always have been. But I uh I want to stay connected to it somehow. hopefully keep getting on with ESPN or
working the desk just to to stay around the sport uh and be a voice in it
because it's created the life I have. It's it's all I know is this like I don't have any
other this so speaking about it and being connected to it is something that's important to me. But I I don't
know if I'm ever going to open a gym or anything like that. That's not like a passion of mine. But I would love to help fighters uh at like I still go back
to American Top Team and help guys with fights and local guys in Louisiana, their upcoming fights. Uh I try to help
out as much as I can because this fighting was a p was a vehicle to become who I am now and to get me out of where
I was and I know it can be that for other people. So I want to, you know, support them in that journey into the
unknown of fighting. You know, is it's beautiful when it works out and it's beautiful when it doesn't if if you embrace it all. No, absolutely. Dustin,
you are just the prime example of everything that we want out of a professional athlete in this world.
You've done it all. You've always been honest. You've always um had such a positive attitude whenever you've worked
with any of us. Personally, I feel like I've grown up with you. Um I'm really sad I won't be at your fight. I mean,
for good reason, but I'm I'm very sad I won't be there because it's been truly
the greatest honor to work with you in all of these different capacities, to watch your family grow, to see all of
your successes, and when even things didn't go your way, the the class in which you carried yourself. Um, you are
a shining example. We are all lucky to have worked with you and to watch your career, and I think we're all really proud of you and and really excited for
whatever the next chapter is. Thank you so much. It really means a lot to me. Uh that that type of stuff, what you just
said, means more to me than the fight records and stuff. Like just just keep pushing. I'm glad. Well, if he's born on
the day or five, maybe maybe he'll be like the diamond or something. Let's go. Let's go.