Dustin Poirier, between heaven and hell
‘The Diamond’ will fight in the third undisputed lightweight title fight of his career. Retirement is a possibility if he tastes defeat.
Newark will host one of the most anticipated fights of this year’s first half next Saturday. In UFC 302′s main event, Dustin Poirier and Islam Makhachev will face each other in the fourth title fight for both of them. Although they have been in the same number of championship fights, luck has been different for both. While Makhachev won the title and had two successful defenses, Poirier only won the interim lightweight belt and lost the two fights for the undisputed championship.
It is the story of a past that refuses to be forgotten and a brilliant present with a legacy to build. In this case, the past is symbolized by Dustin Poirier, who faces a dichotomy rarely seen before at this level within mixed martial arts: becoming a champion or retiring. And, before getting this opportunity, the American spent quite some time thinking about calling it a day. However, a spectacular victory against Benoit Saint-Denis changed his roadmap.
At 35, Poirier finds himself face to face with the opportunity to say “goodbye” to his ‘ghosts’ once and for all, and after a career full of work and sacrifice, finally fulfill the dream he has been fighting for so long. The Louisiana native has spent his entire career fighting many of the great names of what is probably the toughest division in the MMA world, the lightweight of the UFC.
Dustin Poirier, on the verge of UFC glory twice
In September 2019, after a five-fight winning streak, Dustin Poirier finally had his first opportunity to fight for the undisputed title.
He had just won the interim belt against Max Holloway via unanimous decision. His next opponent would be Khabib Nurmagomedov. That fight was the UFC 242 main event and it probably was when the Dagestani looked the most human in his career.
However, a hasty guillotine attempt by Poirier placed him in a vulnerable situation that The Eagle took advantage of to submit him with a rear naked choke.
After that, Poirier got back to winning ways, defeating Conor McGregor twice in a row. Those finishes gave him a lot of media attention and helped him face another tough guy for the belt: Charles Oliveira. The Brazilian and the American met in December 2021, at UFC 269. Once again, a rear naked choke ended Dustin Poirier’s title chances. However, he’s now in a position where he can avenge those losses and fight for the title again at UFC 302.