Dustin Poirier’s last chance: Why he must win at UFC 291 to keep his title dreams alive

Dustin Poirier is one of the best lightweights in the world. Unfortunately, every chance he's been given to prove his divisional superiority by dethroning the champion has ended in failure. He has had several title shots now, and every single one saw the reigning champion turn away his challenge.

He was not only beaten by these titleholders, he was finished. Those losses seem to have relegated him to the dreaded spot that is now occupied by the likes of Max Holloway and Robert Whittaker in their respective divisions. For all his skill and heart, 'The Diamond' has become a gatekeeper to the title.

At least Holloway and Whittaker have had a taste of undisputed gold. But Poirier? He's only ever held an interim title. This coming Saturday, he'll face Justin Gaethje in a highly anticipated rematch at UFC 291. The two men will compete for the 'BMF' title, a platinum trinket. It is simply another placeholder for the prize they truly want.

For Dustin Poirier, he is in a must-win situation. Victory is necessary to keep his title dreams alive, lest he risk becoming a Nate Diaz-esque character, chasing money instead of glory.

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Dustin Poirier's first title campaign

After a serviceable, but ultimately unremarkable run at featherweight, Dustin Poirier walked away from the 145-pound weight class and made a triumphant return to the lightweight division that he should have never left. He embarked on a four-fight win streak, but crashed face-first into a Michael Johnson knockout.

The loss was crushing, but Dustin Poirier's future was still bright. He picked himself back up and went on a tear in the division. He would not lose again for three years. Along the way, he reinvented himself, adopting the Philly Shell, allowing him to stand in the line of fire by shoulder-rolling and counterpunching his foes.

He racked up five wins and one no-contest after finding himself the victim of an illegal knee thrown by Eddie Alvarez. Not only was he winning, but his body of work was more than praiseworthy. Of the five men he had beaten, four were former or future champions, both interim and undisputed.

He submitted former lightweight kingpin Anthony Pettis, TKO'd future interim titleholder Justin Gaethje, TKO'd former lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, and became the first man to beat then featherweight champion Max Holloway in six years, enthroning himself as the UFC interim lightweight champion in 2019.

He next faced the most daunting challenge of all: undefeated lightweight great Khabib Nurmagomedov. Their bout was at UFC 242, and it was contested for the divisional crown. Ahead of the clash, Poirier promised to shock the world, and truth be told, he came dangerously close with a tight guillotine choke in the third round.

But 'The Eagle' remained calm, eventually slipping his head out of the choke to dominate the remainder of the round, just as he had dominated every second of the bout before the guillotine. A minute later, Dustin Poirier, who had come so close to submitting his foe, was himself forced to submit to a rear-naked choke.

It was a bitter loss. 'The Diamond' had failed to capture undisputed gold, and he knew that not many are given a second crack at the belt. At least not without crawling through the mud of the divisional rankings. So, he vowed to come back stronger.

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Third time's the charm?

After losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov, 'The Diamond' amassed another win streak. He first faced Dan Hooker in an action-packed thriller that saw both men take a licking. Unfortunately, for 'The Hangman,' he came out the worse of the two and hasn't been the same since.

Dustin Poirier's next fight was a rematch against MMA's greatest PPV superstar Conor McGregor. The two men first crossed swords back at featherweight, where the Irishman emerged victorious with a quick first-round TKO. Ahead of their rematch, Poirier was regarded as a mere stepping stone for McGregor.

'The Notorious' was determined to secure a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov, who had retired from the sport, despite Dana White's best attempts to coax him back for a blockbuster rematch with the Irishman. Finally, come UFC 257, Poirier and McGregor clashed, and the world stood in shock at the result.

Dustin Poirier defeated the Irishman, handing him his first-ever TKO loss in the UFC. A rematch was immediately booked, and controversy surrounding McGregor's unfulfilled promise to donate to Poirier's Good Fight Foundation turned what was previously a competitive but friendly rivalry into a blood feud.

At UFC 264, things turned even uglier when the Irishman snapped his lower shin during the bout, his bones breaking against 'The Diamond.' Poirier was declared the winner via TKO and McGregor was sidelined. Off the strength of a three-fight win streak, Dustin Poirier challenged Charles Oliveira for the lightweight title.

It would be his second-ever UFC title fight, and it was, in many people's eyes, a winnable one due to Oliveira's suspect chin. Talk of Poirier being the uncrowned champion became rampant, but it all came to a deflating stop when he was forced to tap out to yet another rear-naked choke when the lights were at their brightest.

This time, it was against Charles Oliveira instead of Khabib Nurmagomedov. Directionless, Dustin Poirier spent nearly a year away from the sport, evaluating his options until a matchup with Michael Chandler—a man he once showed no interest in facing—became a point of interest.

A back-and-forth ensued and the two men eventually locked horns at UFC 281. The fight was marred by controversy pertaining to Chandler illegally fish-hooking his foe and blowing his bloody snot into Poirier's face. 'The Diamond' still prevailed, becoming the first man in history to submit Chandler.

Now, he is scheduled to face Justin Gaethje in a massive rematch for the vacant 'BMF' championship, a symbolic title of no real competitive merit. However, it is something that should lead to one more UFC title fight if he emerges victorious, just as it was when Jorge Masvidal was crowned the promotion's first-ever 'BMF' champion.

Masvidall faced Kamaru Usman for the welterweight title after claiming the symbolic belt. It seems then that the 'BMF' belt is just a platinum reskin for the interim title. Fighters rarely ever get three title shots in their career. Dustin Poirier is 34 years old with two undisputed title losses on his record. He can't afford another lapse.

Dustin must beat Justin Gaethje at UFC 291 to earn one last crack at undisputed gold. He's aging, and 'The Diamond' won't have too many more chances to shine if he comes up short this Saturday.