
Mike Brown: 'Enticing' offer could sway Dustin Poirier from retiring after UFC 318
Mike Brown: 'Enticing' offer could sway Dustin Poirier from retiring after UFC 318
American Top Team coach Mike Brown sees UFC 318 likely being Dustin Poirier's final fight – but he won't guarantee it.
Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) plans on making his final walk to the octagon July 19 when he challenges Max Holloway (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC) for the BMF title in the UFC 318 headliner at Smoothie King Center from New Orleans.
Poirier will get to hang up his gloves in front of his home state, but will it really be the final time he competes?
"I mean, I think so," Brown told MMA Fighting. "You can never say never, but he's done really well for himself. He's made a boatload of money. He's set. He doesn't need to fight. So it would have to be something pretty enticing. I mean, that could always happen, but I think he's content with his accomplishments and content with the money he has made and what he's done. So, you know, I think it is."
Brown has plenty of favorite moments from Poirier's career, from his comeback win against Dan Hooker to his knockout finish over Conor McGregor. But would a guillotine-choke submission of Holloway top all of that? "The Diamond" has eight-career wins by submission, but none by his favorite move.
"Everyone would be pretty happy with that, I think," Brown said. "That would be pretty cool, you never know. I mean, people didn't think he was going to rear-naked (Michael) Chandler, right? Who ain't got jiu-jitsu, right? No, he's got jiu-jitsu. People sleep on it."

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Watch: UFC fighter Khabib refuses to shake hands with Kate Scott over ‘Muslim beliefs'
Credit: CBS Sports Golazo / Paramount+ CBS presenter Kate Scott apologised live on air after UFC Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov refused to shake her hand during their Champions League final coverage. As the team of Scott, known as Kate Abdo before marriage, Jamie Carragher, Micah Richards and Theirry Henry were providing post-match punditry on Paris Saint-Germain's 5-0 victory in Munich they were joined by the former fighter and streamer IShowSpeed live on air. Advertisement Nurmagomedov, who famously beat Conor McGregor in 2018, shook the hand of every member of the panel before awkwardly rejecting the outstretched hand of Scott. The 36-year-old clarified his position to Scott who then apologised for her attempt on air, by saying: 'I apologise, thank you so much. Khabib, UFC fighter, it's a pleasure to have you. We didn't know you were here!' Scott then moved the conversation to asking Nurmagomedov about his love for Paris Saint-Germain before he admitted he was also a Real Madrid man as he joked with Henry about 'breaking his heart' in 2006 after he scored the winner at the Bernabeu in the knockout stages. Nurmagomedov watched PSG win the Champions League alongside Islam Makhachev (right) - Getty Images/Michel Regan It is believed that Nurmagomedov's decision to refuse Scott's hand is because he is a devout Sunni Muslim from the Russian Republic of Dagestan. Advertisement In Islam, it is forbidden for a man to touch any part of a woman whether she is Muslim or non-Muslim unless they are related or married. Scott has been praised for navigating a potential awkward situation with excellent professionalism but it is not the first time the unbeaten former UFC fighter has refused to train with females in the gym because of their beliefs. Speaking about her experience, fellow UFC fighter Cynthia Calvillo said she found their decision 'weird'. She told theScore: 'It's a little bit weird because of their religion ... they won't train with women. '[Nurmagomedov] is still showing technique and stuff like that. So I still get to watch it. But it doesn't bother me because they're not really being directly rude to me.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Khamzat In Danger Of UFC 319 ‘Fraud Check'
Khamzat Chimaev is currently ranked No. 3 at 185 pounds and widely-expected to earn the next crack at defending middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis, assuming 'Borz' can make it to fight night without another mysterious medical malady. Don't worry, matchmakers have a backup plan. Advertisement Chimaev's 'special' rise to the top, which included a pit stop at 170 pounds, came with a considerable amount of hype, to the point where fight fans were calling for a potential title shot after just two fights under the UFC banner. Former UFC lightweight, Josh Thomson, wants to pump the brakes. 'How bad is he ... or is he good? We're gonna find out when he fights DDP,' Thomson said on We Want Picks. 'I've said this for the longest time, the sample size is not big enough for me with Chimaev. It's just not big enough. Are we giving him too much credit? Everyone's like, 'Oh, he's muslim, he's got the beard, he can wrestle.' Are we giving him the Khabib credit? No one is like Khabib [Nurmagomedov], nobody is like Islam [Makhachev]. We associate the two things, they are not the same. Khabib didn't get tired. Is [Chimaev] as good as we think? Or we getting a fraud check here with DDP?' Thomson argues the 31 year-old Chimaev (14-0) has been able to capitalize on favorable circumstances, like a washed-up Gilbert Burns, hot-and-cold Kevin Holland, short-notice Kamaru Usman, and even the grill-challenged Robert Whittaker, who already had existing teeth issues. Advertisement 'He's fantastic when he's fresh, but we've seen him wilt in rounds two and rounds three,' Thomson continued. 'He got dropped by Gilbert Burns [at UFC 273] and look at Gilbert since they fought, he can't seem to buy a win right now. So is he as bad or is he as good as people wanna make him? I don't think he's as good as people want him to be. He's fantastic when he's the hammer, I'm not denying that, but what is he like when 'boom' all of the sudden he gets cracked? Is Chimaev that guy, does he fold? Does he break? I'm leaning more towards he does.' We'll find out at UFC 319 this summer in Chicago. More from
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mercury's Sami Whitcomb drops ‘stingy' message after brutal Lynx loss
The post Mercury's Sami Whitcomb drops 'stingy' message after brutal Lynx loss appeared first on ClutchPoints. PHOENIX– The Minnesota Lynx were nearly tamed by the Phoenix Mercury on Friday in a hectic finish. Thanks to Kalani Brown and Sami Whitcomb, Phoenix was in the game for a full 40 minutes against the league's only undefeated team. Advertisement The 74-71 loss was indicative of how close the game was and how valuable the two were. While the two had high expectations heading into the season, their play has been overshadowed by the duo of Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas. Still, the squad is comprised of more than those two stars. When Thomas was ruled out with a left calf injury for Friday's game, it forced players like Brown and Whitcomb to do more. Luckily, the duo knows all about stepping up. After all, Whitcomb brings championship experience to the Mercury and understands what is needed. Even on a team with five rookies, a tough loss can sting. Advertisement Following the game, she had a clear message for her team. 'We've been really stingy with ourselves in terms of the areas that we want to get better,' Whitcomb said. 'It might be small little things… that play obviously it sucks to lose that way. It came down to other things before that put us in that position. 'I think it's cleaning up some of those things, and understanding that it's a long season. This is a great opportunity for us to be in a sort of playoff-type position early on, where you play a team and you get to back up and make adjustments and play them again and see if you can make those adjustments. I think we're really excited.' Sami Whitcomb and Kalani Brown bring the Mercury some toughness Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Brown has experience, but not to Whitcomb's. Still, the former Dallas Wings center understands what a successful team looks like. When she's had the opportunity, she's contributed greatly. Advertisement On Friday, Brown posted 15 points, five rebounds, on 88% from the field. Following the loss, Brown detailed how she was ready for the chance to dominate. 'I think I take a lot of attention in the paint, and I had to be aggressive. That was nice,' Brown said, smiling. '(It was) the most comfortable I've felt since I've been here. 'I'm feeling more confident. Coach (Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts) just told me, 'Just be you, be dominant.' It's been an adjustment for me, so to feel some normalcy felt good… I'm happy.' On the flip side, Whitcomb has started every game this season for the Mercury. Again, both Sabally and Thomas have performed like superstars, so contributions from others haven't been necessary. Advertisement Still, defenses respect Whitcomb's shooting prowess and her savviness. However, her aggressiveness jolted to another level. She attacked the rim with ease, drug the defense out to the perimeter, and was leading the fast break. The Australian guard finished with 13 points, five rebounds, and six assists, on 5-for-11 from the field. Whitcomb felt a performance like this was long overdue. 'I really enjoyed that. I felt like I could just impact instead of just coming off screen, especially while I'm not shooting well,' Whitcomb explained. 'It was good. I felt good doing that and being able to use screens, find people, even just get downhill a little bit more and get some shots closer to.' Advertisement Both Brown and Whitcomb found their respective strides and put a sense of hope into the Mercury head coach. How does Mercury's HC value Sami Whitcomb and Kalani Brown? Whitcomb was Phoenix's prized possession and one of the more under-the-radar moves of the offseason. The 3-point specialist has made a career living from beyond the arc. In a pace and space system, combining with the Big 3 of Sabally, Thomas, and Kahleah Copper, everything fell into place. However, before Friday's game, Whitcomb was averaging career lows in shooting percentage. Even though Whitcomb was finding her orbit in the Mercury's championship quest, she might've carved out another niche on Friday. Advertisement Despite the shooting metric, the head coach felt optimistic about the Australians' ability to create and make plays with the ball, instead of playing off it. 'One of the things that we told Sammy (when we were) trying to get her to decide to come here is that we didn't want her to just be a shooter,' Tibbetts said. 'She did more; she played on pick and roll a little bit. She got downhill, she used her quickness, and she made some really good plays for herself and others.' On the contrary, Brown lives and feasts in the paint. Her soft touch, footwork, and sheer physicality had defenders like Jessica Shepard having trouble. Advertisement The deep post position opened avenues for Whitcomb and Sabally to create plays on the perimeter. While her game contradicts Tibbetts's fast-paced offensive system, it doesn't negate the big's impact in crucial minutes. 'I thought we did a really good job of finding her. This is a new system and a new team for her, and she's doing a really good job. She made some big plays for us.' The Mercury will take on the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday, in the first game of the WNBA Commissioner's Cup. The short turnaround could be beneficial and allow Brown and Whitcomb to give some insight and move on from the tough loss.