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Dustin Poirier has garnered widespread appreciation for his accomplishments in the sport of MMA in what's been a long and storied career for the Louisianian. 'The Diamond' made his professional mixed martial arts debut in May 2009, while his maiden UFC fight transpired in Jan. 2011.
As a UFC athlete, the 35-year-old has competed in the featherweight (145-pound) and lightweight (155-pound) divisions. Besides, he's also partaken in a couple of catchweight bouts (a 151.5-pound and a 159-pound bout).
Has Dustin Poirier ever won a belt? A look at 'The Diamond's' run in championship fights
A crafty and gritty MMA athlete who competed in the WEC and later became a staple of the UFC, Dustin Poirier is a fighter who's traversed a long and treacherous path to world title glory. Poirier has participated in four world championship matches in his MMA career. His first world title showdown was a rematch against Max Holloway at UFC 236 in April 2019.
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At that point in time, Holloway was the UFC featherweight champion and had moved up in weight in a bid to become a two-division champion. With then-undisputed UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov on hiatus, the UFC booked 'Blessed' to fight Poirier for the interim UFC lightweight title at UFC 236.
The Poirier-Holloway rematch turned out to be an all-time classic, as 'The Diamond' outworked his Hawaiian foe over the course of five grueling rounds. Ultimately, Poirier was awarded the unanimous decision victory and crowned the interim UFC featherweight champion.
The interim belt earned Dustin Poirier the opportunity to face Khabib Nurmagomedov in a title unification matchup and win an undisputed MMA world title for the first time in his career. Alas, Nurmagomedov threw cold water on those plans. 'The Eagle' beat Poirier via third-round submission in their high-stakes fight at UFC 242 in Sept. 2019.
With his title fights against Holloway and Nurmagomedov in the rearview mirror, Poirier amassed three consecutive wins. The beloved fighter beat Dan Hooker once and Conor McGregor twice in the June 2020-July 2021 timeframe. 'The Diamond' was then accorded a second shot at becoming the undisputed UFC lightweight champion.
At the UFC 269 event in Dec. 2021, Poirier faced then-UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. After seemingly hurting 'Do Bronx' on the feet, 'The Diamond' fell victim to the BJJ wizard's stellar grappling prowess and lost via third-round submission.
In its aftermath, his second unsuccessful attempt at capturing the undisputed title, Poirier rebounded with a third-round submission win over Michael Chandler.
The victory in his back-and-forth fight against Chandler earned Dustin Poirier another title shot, albeit not at the UFC lightweight belt but at the UFC's symbolic BMF championship. Poirier faced Justin Gaethje, whom he'd bested by fourth-round TKO in April 2018, in a rematch at UFC 291 in July 2023.
Their second encounter had the vacant BMF title at stake, as inaugural BMF titleholder Jorge Masvidal had retired. Gaethje ended up avenging his 2018 defeat by beating Poirier via second-round KO in their rematch in July 2023. 'The Highlight' was then crowned the new BMF champion, whereas Poirier's record in world title fights slipped to 1-3.
Dustin Poirier is on the cusp of another UFC championship fight
After his BMF title fight defeat, Dustin Poirier returned to the win column by beating Benoit Saint Denis via second-round KO at UFC 299 (March 9, 2024). The emphatic knockout in the thrilling matchup, which happens to be Poirier's most recent octagon appearance, appeared to attract the attention of reigning UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
BMF champion Justin Gaethje is currently booked to defend his title against former UFC featherweight kingpin Max Holloway at UFC 300 (April 13, 2024). Many had been lobbying for Makhachev to defend his lightweight belt against Gaethje at the earliest. Regardless, the UFC 300 booking has taken that possible matchup off the table for now.
Makhachev, who's on hiatus due to Ramadan obligations, recently asserted that he could defend the lightweight championship against Dustin Poirier next. Speaking to MMA Junkie, the lightweight titlist indicated that he'd like to face 'The Diamond' as there's no other suitable opponent available for him (Makhachev) when he returns in June.
In a subsequent conversation with MMA Junkie's Mackenzie Salmon, Poirier was questioned about his not having won an undisputed MMA world title yet. Acknowledging it, the longtime ATT (American Top Team) member highlighted that it's the only thing left for him to do in MMA.
Poirier spoke about having built multiple businesses, headlined fight cards, and competed in the UFC's octagon over 30 times. On that note, he reiterated his desire to capture undisputed UFC gold and stated:
"My family is set. Like, I've done everything I've set out to do, but capture the title. And that's the only thing left for me to do, and that's what I want."
Check out Dustin Poirier's comments below (3:14):
