Dustin Poirier has to turn out to be probably the most talked-about combined martial artist after his gorgeous victory over Conor McGregor at UFC 257.
‘El Diamante’ settled the rating with Conor McGregor after shedding against the Irishman as a Featherweight six years in the past at UFC 178.
Dustin Poirier admitted that his loss to Conor McGregor was a defining moment in his career. Thereafter, he returned to the Light-weight division and underwent a phenomenal evolution as a fighter.
On that word, allow us to check out Dustin Poirier’s 5 most recent contests inside the Octagon earlier than 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 final outing earlier than this combat was a submission victory over former champion Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis.
With each fighter recognized for their penchant for placing and trading blows, the combat panned out precisely the way in which it was expected to. Although Dustin Poirier tried 5 takedowns, Justin Gaethje defended all of them.
Dustin Poirier emerged the higher striker that night, landing 174 vital strikes than Justin Gaethje’s 115. The combat got here to an end with a TKO victory for Dustin Poirier after 33 seconds in Spherical 4.
#4 Dustin Poirier vs Eddie Alvarez 2
Dustin Poirer met former champion, Eddie Alvarez, of their second outing contained in the Octagon on July 28, 2018. Their first combat, which occurred in 2017, led to a no-contest after Eddie Alvarez landed unintentional unlawful knees on Dustin Poirier.
They met once more in the main event of UFC on Fox – Alvarez vs Poirier 2.
Very like their first combat, this combat, too, was an electrifying occasion. However, Dustin Poirier had a powerful outing this time, defending all of Eddie Alavarez’s takedown occasions.
He also showcased higher placing abilities. The relentless strain he utilized on Eddie Alvarez in opposition to the cage gained Dustin Poirier a TKO victory within the final minute of spherical two.
Knockout of the day UFC on FOX
Eddie Alvarez vs Dustin Poirier IIpic.twitter.com/J0BGuY2U2X— Blue Corner Fighting (@blue_fighting) November 5, 2020
#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 second of his profession, even larger than his TKO victory against Conor McGregor.
The 2 first met at UFC 143, where Dustin Poirier submitted Max Holloway in spherical 3. This was again in February 2012, and it was solely Holloway’s first combat within the UFC.
It was at UFC 236 that a longtime Max Holloway met Dustin Poirier contained in the Octagon. The 2 competed in a 5-round bout for the Interim Light-weight title.
The duo went toe-to-toe in stand-up warfare, with their stats virtually at-par. The little edge Max Holloway gained over Dustin Poirer when it comes to strikes landed, as Dustin Poirier efficiently took his man down.
Eventually, Dustin Poirier displayed all-around skills that helped him bag a unanimous resolution 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 combat, 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 maneuver on Khabib Nurmagomedov. That is extremely unheard of, as Khabib Nurmagomedov is known for his exceptional dominance on the ground.
The Russian eventually submitted Dustin Poirier in spherical 3 to retain his Lightweight title.
Respect is earned.@TeamKhabib 🤝 @DustinPoirier
This is how champions deal with victory and defeat 🙏 (via @ufc) pic.twitter.com/SlRxEme8Hr
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) October 22, 2020
#1 Dustin Poirier vs Dan Hooker
Dustin Poirier returned to the Octagon in June 2020 to face high Lightweight contender Dan Hooker. In an absolute dogfight, the two traded blows and displayed exceptional all-round MMA skills for the entirety of 5 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 maneuverability on the ground to secure a unanimous decision victory that night.
Read also-UFC 257 payouts: How much did Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and others make?
