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#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:
