Dustin Poirier is taking mandatory time off to recover from multiple injuries, including a broken nose, broken rib, and partially torn ACL, sustained during his recent fight against Islam Makhachev, and has not yet decided if he will retire or fight again.
Dustin Poirier still hasn’t decided whether or not he’ll fight again. Some time off is coming his way regardless of a potential retirement.
On Wednesday, the former interim lightweight champion revealed the litany of injuries he suffered during his war against Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 this past weekend. Despite a valiant effort from Poirier, he ultimately came up short after Makhachev locked on a fight-ending submission in the fifth and final round.
“Nose is broken bad, rib is broken and my ACL is partially torn,” Poirier revealed on social media platform X. “Fight life.”
Nose is broken bad, rib is broken and my ACL is partially torn. FIGHT LIFE ⚔️ — The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) June 5, 2024
Immediately after the fight ended, Poirier remarked that his nose was “shattered.” It’s an injury he’s suffered before during his career. He also commented that he dealt with some kind of knee injury after defending a third-round takedown from Makhachev against the cage.
Poirier’s longtime friend and coach Yves Edwards then revealed on Monday that the Louisiana native dealt with a rib injury leading up to the fight. This injury prevented him from doing much grappling in wrestling during the final weeks of his training camp.
While Poirier got the diagnosis on the extent of his injuries, sources told MMA Fighting on Wednesday that the fighter will seek out a second opinion on his knee. This will determine whether or not he’ll need surgery to repair the damage done.
Even in cases of a complete ACL tear, surgery isn’t always necessary. However, it is likely for most athletes. A partial tear gives Poirier hope that perhaps he’ll be able to rest, recover, and eventually undergo physical therapy to deal with the injury rather than going under the knife.
No final determination on a course of treatment has been decided just yet.
Poirier did receive an indefinite suspension from the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board following his fight due to the severity of his nose and knee injuries. As a result, Poirier needs clearance from an ear, nose, and throat specialist, as well as an orthopedist regarding his left knee.
The 35-year-old veteran hasn’t indicated yet if that will even matter or not. He stated this past Saturday that he may have fought for the final time in his losing effort against Makhachev. But he wasn’t ready to make that decision yet.
For now, Poirier has to take mandatory time off to recover from the multitude of injuries suffered in the fight against Makhachev. Only then can he really consider when he could compete again.