Harshad Patel
UFC 302 could mark the final appearance of one of the most entertaining fighters in MMA history.
Dustin Poirier emerged as a promising talent, living up to his nickname “The Diamond” from the moment he first entered the WEC cage in 2010.
Although his time on the WEC’s blue canvas was brief, Poirier made a significant impact at 145 pounds before transitioning to the UFC. Eventually moving up to lightweight, Poirier established himself as a must-watch fighter.
Despite being one of the sport’s legends, Poirier has never held undisputed gold. This Saturday night at UFC 302, Poirier, now 35, gets his third chance to make that dream a reality when he challenges lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
Entering the bout as a comfortable underdog, Poirier is no stranger to this role. Former middleweight champion Michael Bisping, himself an iconic underdog, believes Poirier’s resume is stronger than the current titleholder’s.
“When you look at the record of Dustin Poirier and you compare it to Islam Makhachev’s, Dustin’s record smokes Islam’s,” Bisping said on Believe You Me.
“Which sounds like I’m being disrespectful to Islam. I’m not, but when you look at Islam, yeah, fought Bobby Green then it was for the belt against [Charles] Oliveira. Twice against [Alexander] Volkanovski.
“When you look at Poirier, I mean, it’s insane. Max Holloway multiple times. Eddie Alvarez, Justin Gaethje, Anthony Pettis, Conor McGregor three times, Jim Miller, Dan Hooker, Oliveira, [Michael] Chandler, Gaethje again, Benoit Saint Denis.
In terms of experience, he’s fought the tougher guys. I think that’s fair to say. Now, competition in common, Islam beat Charles Oliveira whereas Dustin lost.”
Since his last title shot, Poirier has often mentioned that any fight could be his last. He sought gold against Oliveira at UFC 269 in December 2021 but fell short via a third-round rear-naked choke—the same outcome as his first attempt against Khabib Nurmagomedov two years earlier.
Bisping eventually capitalized on his first career title shot after a lengthy tenure as a perennial Top 10 contender, seizing the opportunity on short notice in a somewhat unexpected manner. Both Bisping and Poirier faced the challenge head-on when it was their turn.
Whether Poirier can replicate Bisping’s remarkable upset against Luke Rockhold remains uncertain.
Bisping was ready to retire if he didn’t win the championship at age 37, but he fought three more times before retiring. He believes Poirier would have to continue for at least one title defense if he manages to defy the odds.
“I think if he wins, he’s gonna defend that belt,” Bisping said of Poirier’s potential retirement. “I mean, I had the eye issue.
[My wife] Rebecca said, ‘Right, okay, so you finally got your title fight, are you gonna retire win or lose?’ I’m like, ‘Babe, if I lose, I’ll retire. If I win, you’re out of your goddamn mind. We’re getting the big bucks.’
“So, I think if Dustin pulls it off, I think we’ll see him stick around. If he loses then that will be a great time and the perfect send-off. It would be emotional because Dustin’s given the sport so much. He’s been a fantastic ambassador and he’s fought with nothing but his heart and soul.”
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