"Turned him into a Beyblade," "He can't retire like this" - Fans and Amanda Ribas react to hilarious Dustin Poirier and Islam Makhachev UFC 302 meme 

MMA fans have historically been notorious for coming up with funny edits and memes. It looks like Dustin Poirier is one of the latest targets of these online trolls.

At UFC 302, 'The Diamond' showed true grit and resilience against the lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. The challenger from Louisiana repeatedly stuffed most of Makhachev's takedowns throughout the fight, forcing the lightweight kingpin to engage him more on the feet.

However, the Dagestani's wrestling prowess shined through in the final round, as he employed a crafty ankle pick to spin Poirier around before taking him down to the canvas. From there, the 32-year-old locked in a D'Arce choke to force a tap out of the American.

Makhachev fans have clearly taken a liking to the crafty move. A recent meme of Poirier transitioning into a figure skater following the ankle pick spin has attracted tremendous fanfare.

Check out the Dustin Poirier meme below:

UFC fighter Amanda Ribas responded to the meme with a trio of laughing-with-tears emojis.

@vadim.morton wrote:

"He can't retire like this."

@authenticrock chimed in:

"Turned him into a Bayblade."

@_oso99 wrote:

"Dammit, was hoping the memes were going to skip past this one."

Screenshots courtesy @crashmma on Instagram

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Dustin Poirier says Khabib Nurmagomedov "is stronger" than Islam Makhachev

Perennial UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier has faced both Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev. While 'The Diamond' agrees both the Russians have a similar style, he believes there are inherent differences that make both the fighters unique in their own way.

During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, the former interim lightweight champion told Ariel Helwani that 'The Eagle' was the stronger of the two:

"Takedowns are similar, the pressure is similar. Takedowns are different, he [Makhachev] does a lot of upper body stuff. He kept trying to clinch up with me, Khabib would shoot lower shots. I think Khabib is stronger, physically stronger. Islam's squeeze was incredible. His squeeze, the torque he got in that D'Arce choke, it was like a vice grip."

Check out Dustin Poirier's comments below (14:29):

UFC 302 was Poirier's third title shot. With another crack at the undisputed title seemingly improbable, Poirier claims that he is now, more than ever, close to calling it a career.