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Dustin Poirier has become the most talked-about mixed martial artist after his stunning victory over Conor McGregor at UFC 257.
'El Diamante' settled the score with Conor McGregor after losing against the Irishman as a Featherweight six years ago at UFC 178.
Dustin Poirier admitted that his loss to Conor McGregor was a defining moment in his career. Thereafter, he returned to the Lightweight division and underwent a phenomenal evolution as a fighter.
On that note, let us take a look at Dustin Poirier's five most recent contests inside the Octagon before his UFC 257 date with McGregor.
#5 Dustin Poirer vs Justin Gaethje
Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje met in the main event of UFC on Fox - Poirier vs Gaethje - on April 14, 2018. Dustin Poirier's last outing before this fight was a submission victory over former champion Anthony 'Showtime' Pettis.
With both fighters known for their penchant for striking and trading blows, the fight panned out exactly the way it was expected to. Even though Dustin Poirier attempted five takedowns, Justin Gaethje defended them all.
Dustin Poirier emerged the better striker that night, landing 174 significant strikes than Justin Gaethje's 115. The fight came to an end with a TKO victory for Dustin Poirier after 33 seconds in Round 4.
#4 Dustin Poirier vs Eddie Alvarez 2
Dustin Poirer met former champion Eddie Alvarez in their second outing inside the Octagon on July 28, 2018. Their first fight, which took place in 2017, ended in a no-contest after Eddie Alvarez landed unintentional illegal knees on Dustin Poirier.
They met again in the main event of UFC on Fox - Alvarez vs Poirier 2.
Much like their first fight, this fight, too, was an electrifying event. However, Dustin Poirier had an impressive outing this time, defending all of Eddie Alavarez's takedown events.
He also showcased better striking skills. The relentless pressure he applied on Eddie Alvarez against the cage won Dustin Poirier a TKO victory in the final minute of round two.
#3 Dustin Poirier vs Max Holloway 2
In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, Dustin Poirier claimed that his win over Max Holloway is the biggest moment of his career, even bigger than his TKO victory against Conor McGregor.
The two first met at UFC 143, where Dustin Poirier submitted Max Holloway in round 3. This was back in February 2012, and it was only Holloway's first fight in the UFC.
It was at UFC 236 that an established Max Holloway met Dustin Poirier inside the Octagon. The two competed in a 5-round bout for the Interim Lightweight title.
The duo went toe-to-toe in a stand-up war, with their stats almost at-par. The little edge Max Holloway gained over Dustin Poirer in terms of strikes landed, as Dustin Poirier successfully took his man down.
Eventually, Dustin Poirier displayed all-round skills that helped him bag a unanimous decision victory over Max Holloway.
#2 Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Dustin Poirier
Dustin Poirier met Khabib Nurmagomedov to become the Lightweight champion at UFC 242 in September 2019.
After the fight, Khabib Nurmagomedov went on to say that Dustin Poirier put up one of the most commendable challenges to his reign.
In fact, Dustin Poirier even managed to execute a submission manoeuvre on Khabib Nurmagomedov. This is extremely unheard of, as Khabib Nurmagomedov is known for his exceptional dominance on the ground.
The Russian eventually submitted Dustin Poirier in round 3 to retain his Lightweight title.
#1 Dustin Poirier vs Dan Hooker
Dustin Poirier returned to the Octagon in June 2020 to face top Lightweight contender Dan Hooker. In an absolute dogfight, the two traded blows and displayed exceptional all-round MMA skills for the entirety of five rounds.
Dustin Poirier's control of the Octagon earned him superiority over Dan Hooker on the scorecards, despite Hooker executing more takedowns.
Poirier also used his ability to exert pressure on Dan against the cage and manoeuvrability on the ground to secure a unanimous decision victory that night.
