COCONUT CREEK, Fla. – Dustin Poirier typically has but one gear when he's in the cage, and that's forward.

And after nearly two decades fighting, he seems to be taking a similar approach to his retirement. Poirier, a former UFC interim lightweight champion, has made it clear his next fight will be his last. While an opponent and location have not been announced, it's widely expected that Poirier will headline a UFC summer return to New Orleans in his home state of Louisiana.

If there's a chance his all-forward gear stalls out into neutral, at least in terms of having some kind of sadness about his decision, it's not happened yet.

"I'm not emotional yet," Poirier told MMA Junkie at a training session at his American Top Team home gym in South Florida. "I'm sure as time goes, there's going to be waves of different feelings. Right now, I'm feeling confident and OK with my decision for it to be my last fight."

Poirier has alternated wins and losses his past six fights, but in the past eight years, his only losses have been in title fights or for the symbolic "BMF" belt. And in that stretch are two historic wins over Conor McGregor that came in back-to-back fights. They likely could stand as McGregor's final fights in the UFC.

But Poirier said he knows if he for any reason changed his mind, he still can hang. When your only losses in basically a decade are to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje and Islam Makhachev, the resume speaks for itself.

He just doesn't anticipate that will be the case.

"I can still do this at the top level for a few more years – there's no doubt in my mind. But what am I fighting for?" Poirier said. "Is it for a paycheck? I don't want to disrespect the sport. I've always fought to be a champion, so if it's not for a title, then it's time to going away. I was always chasing a title.

"I've been doing this for a long time. I'm good. My family's good. I want to get out of (the sport) with my faculties and be able to speak and work the (analyst) desk, be healthy for my daughter and my future kids. I just think it's time. After 18 years, 19 years in this sport, fighting tootha nd nail, bleeding every week, I think it's a responsible decision and respect to the sport."

Check out Poirier's full interview with Mike Bohn above.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Dustin Poirier not emotional about UFC retirement fight just yet

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