Retirement doesn’t come easy in MMA. It hums in the background whenever a big fight hits, an arena roars, or a familiar name enters the fray. UFC 324 was one of those nights. Violence, momentum swings, exhaustion, and defiance—all of the ingredients that previously defined Dustin Poirier’s life.

So, as Justin Gaethje not just survived but dominantly won the battle with Paddy Pimblett in Las Vegas, the conversation shifted drastically. Not toward ranks or belts, but towards unfinished business. Toward a rivalry that never quite felt settled, even with one win each.

Justin Gaethje is the one fight that pulls Dustin Poirier back

The spark came quietly when a well-known MMA content creator online, Kevin K, posted a simple desire to see Dustin Poirier return one last time to settle things with Justin Gaethje. “I wanna see Dustin Poirier come back for this fight to finish it up,” he stated. The response? It was the ray of hope that several fight fans had been waiting for. ‘The Diamond’ answered, “I’ll come back for that one.”

That single sentence was significant because of what Gaethje represented to him. Their feud marked eras of lightweight violence. In 2018, Dustin Poirier dragged ‘The Highlight’ into deep water and stopped him late to claim interim gold. Justin Gaethje repaid the favor five years later, winning the BMF title with a vicious head-kick knockout.

If this trilogy materializes, there’s no denying that each side will plan to have an all-out war. Since retiring last summer, Poirier has stated that the silence has been difficult. He’s spoken frequently about missing the structure, the pressure, and the certainty of having a fight scheduled. Some mornings, he feels peaceful. Other days, he’s sure that he can still defeat the best in the world.

For ‘The Diamond,’ the tug of war never really ends. What makes Justin Gaethje different is clarity. The fight makes sense emotionally and historically. A trilogy doesn’t require a belt because the plot sells itself. UFC 324 just sharpened that pull.

Watching ‘The Highlight’ go through chaos, struggle under pressure, and still find a way to win reminded fans, and perhaps Dustin Poirier himself, of what those fights demand and what he’s been missing. So now, if Justin Gaethje loses the unification bout against Ilia Topuria, he knows whom to call out next. But until then, Poirier can sit on the sidelines and dish out his own criticism on social media.

Poirier goes after Paddy Pimblett’s past comments after UFC 324 defeat

The aftermath of UFC 324 didn’t just reopen the Justin Gaethje door for Dustin Poirier but also stirred something a little more petty. While ‘The Diamond’ is unable to enter the cage right now, he remains an active participant in the conversation, watching the chaos unfold and remembering exactly who had plenty to say before it did.

Paddy Pimblett‘s failure to win the interim title gave Poirier an opening he quickly seized. ‘The Baddy’ had spent fight week criticizing Poirier’s retirement fight against Max Holloway, calling it embarrassing and accusing him of putting on a subpar performance despite the buildup.

Those words lingered, especially coming from someone ready to embark on his first true war at the elite level. When the war ended in defeat, Dustin Poirier responded on social media with a single, brutal line, “Welcome to the big leagues, Patrick! 1 up for the legends.”

Dustin Poirier didn’t need to explain himself or revisit the past. The moment did that for him. While Paddy Pimblett earned respect for his toughness, respect doesn’t erase receipts. And ‘The Diamond,’ even in retirement, knows when to cash them in.