What happened between Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier at their UFC 302 face-off? A look into what possibly incensed the lightweight champion

Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier had a tense, almost heated, face-off ahead of their UFC 302 bout. It was defined by the Dagestani taking issue with Poirier's use of the word 'motherf***er' during a fiery exchange between the pair.

While their upcoming bout has been preceded by an intensely competitive dynamic, with Poirier determined to finally capture an undisputed UFC title in his third try, and Makhachev eager to defend his lightweight strap for a third time, there has been no personal issue that arose between the two men.

Check out the face-off between Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier:

Makhachev's anger over Poirier's words could stem from his misunderstanding of what 'The Diamond' meant. Makhachev is not a native English speaker, being less fluent than his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov. Thus, it is possible that he mistook the term 'motherf***er' for an insult directed at his mother.

Naturally, this would draw Makhachev's ire, as mothers seem to be greatly revered in Dagestan, with Makhachev's compatriot, Nurmagomedov, retiring from MMA due to a promise he had made to his mother. Whether this causes the UFC 302 main event to have a more enmity than before remains to be seen.

Both, however, are more than motivated to emerge victorious come fight night, least of all with the UFC lightweight championship up for grabs. For Poirier, it is almost certainly his last crack at undisputed gold in the UFC.

For Makhachev, however, it is a chance to equal the all-time divisional record of three title defenses.

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Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier had previously clashed over their contrasting predictions

Dustin Poirier is one of the finest boxers in the UFC, and will bank on his punching power and skill to knock Islam Makhachev out. The Dagestani champion, however, feels that Poirier's historical struggles with wrestling and grappling will be his key to victory.

In fact, he does not believe that Poirier has any chance of beating him. He spoke about Poirier's chances against him in his UFC 302 media day interview.

"Honestly, my sytle is worse style for him, that's why. He can beat some striker, he like one of the best striker in this game. But we're not striker, we're MMA fighters and my skills are on different level."

Check out Islam Makhachev's thoughts on Dustin Poirier's chances against him (4:23):

Poirier, however, warned Makhachev against underestimating, claiming that the Dagestani star is lying to himself if he truly believes he has no chance of beating him.