“Dustin is the godfather of the lightweight division.” It definitely won’t be easy for Makhachev
Sergey Sorokin May 25, 2024, 12:30 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
Poirier is being ruled out too soon.
On the night of June 1 to 2, the UFC 302 tournament will take place in New Jersey (USA). Its main star will be Islam Makhachev, who must once again defend the organization’s lightweight title. The opponent is the experienced American Dustin Poirier, who will try to interrupt the Russian’s dominance. Of course, the favorite seems to be the heir to Khabib Nurmagomedov, who has surpassed the division and holds the championship belt. But there is a feeling that Diamond is being canceled too soon.
Poirier is a very experienced and skilled fighter. And he could well surprise Makhachev. Especially if the fight takes place standing. UFC Hall of Famer Jens Pulver pointed this out. He recalled that Dustin has a tremendous career. Diamond managed to fight almost every lightweight leader over the last decade. And very rarely did these confrontations end in defeat. On the contrary, Poirier was able to obtain several high-profile victories at once.
Jens Pulver
American fighter, member of the UFC Hall of Fame
“I love Dustin. He is the true godfather of the division. And I really don’t want him to lose. For a long time he has proven that he is one of the best fighters. And I think Dustin has a real chance to win. If he can keep the fight on his feet, he will have the opportunity to demonstrate his best skills. And he will show what impact power he has. Then Dustin can truly defeat Islam. But if Makhachev can drag him to the ground…he will win. Of course, Poirier will fight and try to get out. But Makhachev has more possibilities from below.”
Already in the fourth fight in the UFC, Dustin faced powerful opposition. The opponent was Max Holloway, whom the young Diamond was able to finish in the first round. Poirier pulled the lever with his elbow and achieved the most important victory. It is worth noting that seven years later the opponents clashed again. And Dustin repeated his success. It is true that it was not possible to eliminate the rival in the rematch. But the judges gave Diamond the victory by unanimous decision.
Daniel Poirier
Photo: Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
The next superstar in Poirier’s path was Conor McGregor. This happened in 2014. At that time, the Irish star was gaining momentum. And he knocked out Dustin in the first round. The defeat was a great experience for the American. First of all, after him, Brilliant had a four-fight winning streak. And the most important thing is that in 2021 Poirier was able to get revenge. He defeated Notorious twice in a row: by direct knockout and by technical knockout. The third fight between the fighters turned out to be very dramatic, it was then that Conor broke his leg and had a long rest.
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Justin Gaethje twice got in Poirier’s way. And, perhaps, this confrontation also deserves to become a trilogy. The first fight went to Diamond, who won by technical knockout in the fourth round. The guys put up a fantastic fight and surprised all the mixed martial arts fans. And the second battle will definitely be remembered for a long time. Poirier seemed the favorite; he fought pretty well. But in the second round, Diamond missed a powerful high kick from Highlight and was knocked out.
Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje
Photo: Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Perhaps the main challenge in Dustin’s career is the confrontation with Khabib Nurmagomedov. On September 7, 2019, the rivals met at UFC 242. At that time, Diamond held the UFC interim lightweight champion belt. And it is worth noting that the American looked very decent against Orel. Only in the third round was the legendary Russian champion able to strangle Poirier. But Dustin showed everyone that he is capable of fighting on equal terms with any opponent.
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Dustin subsequently added two more high-profile victories to his trove. It is true that before them there was a defeat by Charles Oliveira. Poirier was one step away from the title. He made a mistake in the third round and lost by rear-naked choke. But after that there were two big wins in Diamond’s career. First, he became the first wrestler to finish Michael Chandler with one move. And then Dustin knocked out Benoit St. Denis. And there is a feeling that Poirier deservedly got another shot at the title.
Dustin is truly the godfather of the lightweight division. He fought with all the tops and constantly lived up to his nickname. The UFC has found a true diamond in Poirier. And now another serious test of strength awaits him. If the American can face it, he will forever write his name in gold letters in the history of the best league on the planet.
