5 Defining Moments: Dustin Poirier

Order Now! UFC 302 "Makhachev vs. Poirier" Saturday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+

Advertisement

With 30 Ultimate Fighting Championship appearances under his belt, Dustin Poirier has put himself in consideration as a potential future hall of famer. The American Top Team ace has delivered a number of “Fight of the Night”-worthy performances and features 15 finishes among his 22 victories inside the Octagon.

Poirier epitomizes resilience, as his indomitable will has persisted through peaks and valleys. The former interim titleholder will challenge Islam Makhachev for the undisputed lightweight championship in the World Extreme Cagefighting organization. The American faltered in his debut for the promotion, dropping a unanimous decision to Danny Castillo at WEC 50. The defeat served as a crucial part of Poirier’s learning curve, and he rebounded with a first-round technical knockout of Zachary Micklewright. He eventually punched his ticket to the UFC, carrying a commendable 8-1 record to the Las Vegas-based company.

2. An Ascending Featherweight

Poirier wasted no time in announcing himself to the 145-pound weight class, lodging four straight wins, including notable submission triumphs over Pablo Garza and future champion Max Holloway. He later crossed paths with Chan Sung Jung in a clash that will go down in mixed martial arts folklore. The UFC on Fuel TV 3 headliner proved to be an aggressive affair since both fighters were in title contention at the time. “The Korean Zombie” emerged as the victor in the high-level scrap, as he put away Poirier with a brabo choke. During his time in the featherweight ranks, Poirier collected signature victories over the likes of Diego Brandao and Akia Corassani.

3. Testing Mettle

“The Diamond” has had his fair share of rivalries over the years, all of which have played a part in molding him into the warrior he is today. Having clinched a victory over Holloway in their aforementioned clash, the pair locked horns at UFC 236 for interim lightweight gold. Holloway’s durability was the single determinant for his survival against Poirier’s downpour in the opening rounds. Holloway stuck to out striking his rival and relying on his iron chin while Poirier unleashed damaging strikes that left his adversary battered. They went the full 25-minute distance in the nail-biting rematch, as Poirier won the interim title by unanimous decision. Poirier has also had some epic rivalries with fellow American sluggers Justin Gaethje and Eddie Alvarez. Though his first bout with Alvarez ended in a no contest, he finished their rematch by second-round technical knockout. Meanwhile, Poirier and Gaethje’s rivalry stands even at 1-1. However, any account of Poirier’s career would be incomplete without the mention of Conor McGregor. The two men have engaged in three fights across two divisions, with the Irishman getting the better of Poirier in their UFC 178 pairing via first-round TKO. Several years later, they engaged in back-to-back clashes where Poirier came out victorious via TKO on both occasions. McGregor continues to spew venom at Poirier whenever he has the opportunity and vows that their rivalry is “not over.”

4. Guarding the Gate

Seemingly every time Poirier has gone overlooked by challengers who were pursuing gold, the American has reminded them that there are levels to this game. Dan Hooker was on a three-fight winning streak prior to his June 2020 clash against Poirier. “The Diamond” waged war against Hooker and left him in a mess of damage and depletion ahead of a unanimous decision win. Similarly, when Michael Chandler was the trendiest fighter after his freakish knockout of Tony Ferguson, Poirer’s resolve prevailed over the three-time Bellator MMA champion will in a submission triumph at UFC 281. Most recently, a second-round knockout of streaking contender Benoit St. Denis helped Poirier book another title shot, as he suits up to take on Makhachev.

5. Down but Not Out

Poirier has been handed the opportunity to fight for the lightweight gold twice in bouts against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira. In both of those fights, Poirier succumbed to rear-naked choke submission losses despite exhibiting bursts of brilliance. If you consider the symbolic BMF title fight in the mix, Poirier has been unlucky in that regard, too, falling prey to a second-round head-kick knockout loss to Gaethje. However, none of these losses have managed to crush his spirit, as Poirier maintains his image as a fighter’s fighter in the organization.