Dustin Poirier was understandably dejected following his defeat to Justin Gaethje at UFC 291.

Poirier was finished by knockout for the first time since 2016 after a Gaethje head kick put him out cold in the second round of their BMF title fight.

“The Diamond” is no stranger to setbacks in big fights. After all, he's lost both his attempts at becoming undisputed lightweight champion.

And while this fight was for the BMF title, it doesn't make the loss any easier for him.

“It sucks obviously,” Poirier said at the post-fight press conference (via MMA Fighting). “Losing sucks but I’ve lost before. I said the same thing before, it’s not cool to be acquainted with these feelings but I’ve been here before. The career I’ve had and the fights I’ve had and where I come from, I feel like I’ve already won.

“I’m just taking it minute by minute but I’m good. If I win like a man, I’ve got to be able to lose like a man.”

It's not like Poirier was outclassed prior to the knockout blow.

In fact, he probably won the first round in which he managed to hurt Gaethje. But rather than go for the kill, the Louisiana native decided to pace himself — a mistake in hindsight.

“We had four more [rounds] to go, if I did it to him in the first, it was going to happen again later,” Poirier explained. “In my head, it was a veteran move. Maybe I should have hit the gas. I thought I had four more rounds.

“I didn’t know I had two more minutes. But it is what it is. Losing sucks.”

Gaethje is now all but guaranteed to get a lightweight title shot which begs the questions — what's next for Dustin Poirier?

Poirier claimed he was offered a fight with Beneil Dariush prior, but it wasn't a fight that excited him like Gaethje. There's always the possibility of a trilogy with Gaethje and should the latter win the lightweight title, it would certainly make things even more enticing.

While Poirier is open to a trilogy in those circumstances, he plans on taking things one day at a time as far as his fighting future goes.

“It keeps calling me. I can’t stop,” he said. “So we’ll see what happens. I might need another hit. I don’t know. I’m just taking it one day at a time, one minute at a time right now but I’m happy. My life is good. My family’s good, my daughter is excited for me to get home. We’re not at a funeral here. I’ve won. I’ve won life. I already won. Where I come from, I already won.

“What am I fighting for? I’m not fighting just to fight. I did that my whole life. My whole life I’ve done that. I don’t want to fight just to fight. I want it to be for something.”