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Dustin Poirier has been a part of the UFC since 2011. ‘The Diamond’ has endured a long and arduous journey en route to his upcoming title shot against Charles Oliveira at UFC 269, and could finally fulfill his dream of becoming an undisputed UFC champion should he emerge victorious.
Poirier joined the promotion as part of the UFC’s acquisition of the WEC. He plied his trade in the 145 lbs division for three years before moving up to the lightweight division. Since moving to the 155 lbs division, Poirier has blossomed into one of the best fighters in the world.
The Louisiana native has developed a reputation for being a hard-working and gritty fighter, who’s had to go through the darkest of trenches in his quest for gold.
He has been a part of 7 ‘Fight of the Night’ winning bouts in his career, coming out on top in 6 of them. He has also claimed 5 ‘Performance of the Night’ bonuses during his time in the UFC.
Today, Dustin Poirer is one of the biggest and most recognizable stars in the sport. He has gained a significant amount of popularity for his extremely likable personality, charitable ventures, entertaining style of fighting and victories of high-level opposition.
That being said, we thought we’d take a look at some of Dustin Poirier’s best performances inside the octagon.
#5. Eddie Alvarez vs. Dustin Poirier 2
Dustin Poirier and Eddie Alvarez previously fought at UFC 211 in 2017.
The bout was a war for as long as it lasted, until Alvarez landed an illegal knee on ‘The Diamond’. The illegal strike resulted in a no-contest ruling and the duo subsequently squared off in a rematch at UFC on FOX: Alvarez vs. Poirier 2 at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
The first round of the rematch was reminiscent of their first bout as both fighters went after each other with powerful strikes.
However, Poirier turned the tide and dominated Alvarez in the striking exchanges after an even start to the fight. His relentless pressure and combination striking proved to be too much for Alvarez, who eventually crumbled in the second round.
The TKO victory earned Dustin Poirier a ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus. Additionally, he established himself as the clear No.1 contender to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s throne.
#4. Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje
Dustin Poirier took on Justin Gaethje in the main event of a UFC Fight Night in Glendale, Arizona in 2018.
Justin Gaethje has developed a reputation for being - as Joe Rogan puts it - the most violent man in the most violent sport. Gaethje and Poirier were among the top 5 fighters in the UFC’s lightweight division, with both fighters looking to edge closer to a title shot.
The bout that ensued was an instant classic as the two Americans went to war for 4 rounds before Poirier ultimately finished Gaethje. ‘The Diamond’ was severely hampered by the powerful calf kicks that Gaethje was throwing.
He showed incredible heart and toughness to power through the crippling calf-kicks and knocked out ‘The Highlight’ in one of the most memorable fights in the history of the lightweight division.
This was the fight that solidified Poirier's status as one of the elite lightweights in the world. To outlast and outclass Justinn Gaethje in the manner that he did was a huge feather in his cap and he established himself as a championship-caliber fighter.
#3. Dustin Poirier vs. Dan Hooker
Dustin Poirier took a 9-month lay-off following his unsuccessful shot at the UFC lightweight title against then-champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 in 2019. He returned to action in 2020 against Dan Hooker.
The consensus going into the bout was that it would deliver a ‘Fight of the Year’ contender, and it did not disappoint. The second round in particular was undoubtedly one of the best rounds of the year.
Dan Hooker outstruck Dustin Poirier in the first two rounds of the fight, damaging ‘The Diamond’ towards the end of the second round with some vicious hooks to the head. However, Poirier came back strong and dominated the next three rounds en route to a unanimous decision victory.
The judges scored the contest 48-47, 48-47 and 48-46 in favor of Poirier. The incredible fight expectedly made the shortlist for the ‘Fight of the Year’ contenders for 2020, but ultimately lost out to the women's strawweight title fight between Zhang Weili and Joanna Jędrzejczyk at UFC 248.
Dustin Poirier moved back into title contention with the win over Hooker. He was set to take on Tony Ferguson at UFC 254, but the fight got scrapped following a financial disagreement between ‘El Cucuy’ and the UFC. Poirier’s next bout would be a rematch against Irish superstar Conor McGregor instead.
Watch the full fight below:
#2. Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor 2
Following the retirement of then-UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, the UFC identified Dustin Poirier and Charles Oliveira as the frontrunners to compete for the vacant belt. Poirier was coming off his win over Dan Hooker, while Oliveira’s last performance was a complete domination of Tony Ferguson.
However, Conor McGregor picked Dustin Poirier as his opponent for his long-awaited return to the octagon. ‘The Diamond’ opted to accept the more lucrative option and took on the Irish superstar instead of Oliveira.
Poirier and McGregor squared off in the main event of UFC 257 on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. ‘The Notorious’ had won the duo’s first bout back in 2014 and Poirier was eager to avenge that loss. A tight first round could have gone either way as both fighters enjoyed moments of success in the first five minutes.
Poirier threw heavy leg kicks at McGregor’s lead-leg throughout the bout, and the cumulative damage was apparent in the second round. The Irishman’s right calf was compromised two minutes into the second round as Poirier picked up the pace.
The American backed up his Irish counterpart against the fence and delivered a series of powerful hooks, one of which caught the latter clean. Poirier won by second-round TKO.
#1. Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier 2
Dustin Poirer and Max Holloway had crossed paths once before in the UFC, back when the former was a featherweight. The duo locked horns at UFC 143, where Poirier secured a first-round submission victory.
The next time they met, however, was under completely different circumstances.
Khabib Nurmagomedov was the reigning UFC lightweight champion at the time, but was suspended for his part in the brawl that occurred after he defeated Conor McGregor at UFC 229. An interim title between then-featherweight champion Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier was subsequently booked. Holloway was the betting favorite going into the bout.
The duo squared off in the main event of UFC 236. The five-round war between the two capped off an incredible night of fights in Atlanta, Georgia, and the judges awarded a unanimous decision victory to Dustin Poirier. Despite being outstruck by Holloway, Poirier landed the harder shots and ultimately caused more damage to his opponent.
The newly crowned interim champion was clearly emotional after the fight, alluding to his turbulent journey en route to the belt. In his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Poirier said:
I've got knocked down, I've climbed back up like I said before man... This is my belt. I earned it [with] blood. Paid in full... This is mine."
Watch both fighters’ post-fight interview below:
