Dustin Poirier does not fear much, although the mixed martial arts champion is taken aback when it comes to the concept of leaving the sport where he has made a name for himself.
After losing his lightweight title bout on June 1 against Islam Makhachev at UFC 302, Poirier continues to contemplate retirement at age 35.
Poirier had a sense that by now, he would know what his future holds. But in a conversation with "The MMA Hour" on Monday, he still does not know what he wants to do as he looks for "clarity."
"I'm scared to miss what I have left to give," Poirier said as he discussed potential retirement. "But I also don't want to give too much of myself. I want to give more because I know I have a short window to give the best of myself, but also I've given so much of myself to the sport for so long.
"It's just like, where do I draw the line? That's a battle I have to figure out for myself, because I don't have the answers to a lot of these things."
A black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Poirier has compiled a 30-9 record in MMA and a 22-7 UFC mark. He admitted that he would have retired if he was able to pull off the upset of Makhachev, who won by submission in the fifth round.
After the bout, Poirier revealed he came away with a broken nose, a broken rib and a torn ACL. And yet the call to return remains, even after he said, "I think this could be it, honestly," after the bout.
"The only thing that makes me not want to walk away is I still feel I can compete with these guys, and I feel I'm still getting better," Poirier said to ‘The MMA Hour.' "It's not like I'm slowing down too much, or age is getting to me. My reaction time is still good, and I know I can beat those guys."