Tag: Dustin Poirier

UFC star Dustin Poirier makes pick for 2024 Knockout of the Year

Dustin Poirier is one of the UFC’s all-time knockout artists, so his opinion for 2024 Knockout of the Year carries weight.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] knows a thing or two about knockouts, and his initial pick for 2024 Knockout of the Year may not be the popular opinion.

Poirier acknowledges that [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC) pointing to the floor in the final seconds of his BMF title fight against Justin Gaethje and subsequently face-planting him at UFC 300 is a dramatic moment, but that wasn’t his first pick for the best knockout in 2024.

“The Diamond” thinks featherweight champion Ilia Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) becoming the first fighter to knock out Holloway, as he did at UFC 308 in October, tops it.

“For me personally, it’s got to be Topuria knocking out Max,” Poirier said on ESPN’s “Good Guy/Bad Guy” show with Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen. “Max is a legend, multiple-time world champion, one of the best guys to ever do it, and Topuria was the first man to put him on his ass and knock him out. That was super impressive for me.”

Poirier has fought Holloway twice in the past, most recently outlasting him in a five-round battle to claim the interim lightweight title in their rematch in April 2019. Poirier landed some bombs on Holloway, but wasn’t able to put him away.

Topuria finally shattering the record-setting durability run of Holloway is why he rates the knockout so highly.

“Just how elusive he is in there but also the guys he fought, he’s never been put down,” Poirier said of Holloway. “Going in there toe-to-toe with Gaethje, I mean the list goes on with me, with Conor (McGregor), with a bunch of guys.

“Taking big shots and always answering the bell, always getting back up, always showing up to the next round. Never really seen him rocked or stumble that much. And to get put down for the first time after 30-plus UFC fights is, to me, Knockout of the Year.”

Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) himself had one of the best knockouts of the year when he sparked Benoit Saint Denis with a big right hook at UFC 299 in March. That would earn him a shot at lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 302, but Poirier fell short when he was submitted in Round 5.

Although Poirier initially made the case for Topuria, eventually Cormier convinced “The Diamond” that Holloway’s knockout of Gaethje deserves the No. 1 ranking.

“I do, me and the UFC are close on making it happen,” Poirier said on his next fight. “Hopefully, I’ll have some news for you guys soon. But going back to Knockout of the Year, can I switch my pick? Just now you talking about it, it brought me back.

“I was doing a viewing party in Connecticut, and it brought me back to that moment, and I got to say, I was more in awe that night than I was working ESPN with Chael, and Ilia did it. When Ilia did it, I was surprised. When Max did it, I was kind of in awe, blown away at the way he fell. Just everything combined just made it so special.”

[lawrence-related id=2732476,2781371,2734669,2734728]

Khabib Nurmagomedov urges ‘old school’ UFC lightweights like Dustin Poirier to retire

Khabib Nurmagomedov thinks it’s time for various UFC lightweights to call it a career.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] thinks it’s time for various UFC lightweights to call it a career.

Nurmagomedov specifically pointed out former foe [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag], who’s coming off a title loss to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 in June. Nurmagomedov also holds a win over Poirier, submitting him in their Septemeber 2019 title fight at UFC 242.

Although Nurmagomedov watched Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) put up a solid effort against his protoge Makhachev, “The Eagle” had some harsh advice for him and other top lightweight contenders.

“I think Poirier can beat Charles (Oliveira), and I think Poirier has to stop fighting. He’s finished,” Nurmagomedov said on the “Pound 4 Pound” podcast. “Justin Gaethje, Khabib, Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson. This is old school, brother. Stop fighting. We have to recognize the real things.”

Poirier teased one more fight before hanging up his gloves. UFC CEO Dana White also recently confirmed that the promotion is currently working on his potential retirement fight.

Nurmagomedov’s words shouldn’t come as a surprise. The former undefeated UFC lightweight champion walked away early in many people’s minds after he notched his third title defense against Justin Gaethje in October 2020. Nurmagomedov made a promise to his mother that he would no longer compete without his late father in his corner. He was only 32 when he retired.

[lawrence-related id=2775514,2766508,2766510,2766509]

Michael Chandler doubts Dustin Poirier takes chance on rematch after UFC 309

Michael Chandler won’t set his sights on a potential rematch with Dustin Poirier.

NEW YORK – [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] won’t set sights on a potential rematch with [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag].

Chandler’s most recent outing came in a submission loss to Poirier in at UFC 281 in November 2022. Poirier was unhappy with Chandler’s antics during the fight and accused him of being a dirty competitor.

Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) has hinted at one last fight before retirement, but Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) doesn’t see “The Diamond” risking a potential loss.

“Yeah, I mean, not really,” Chandler told reporters on fighting Poirier during Wednesday’s UFC 309 media day. “I mean, Dustin’s got a win over me. He’s never going to take the chance in one of his last couple of fights to put that on the line and lose to me and have that stain on him the rest of his life. So, I know that for sure.

Chandler runs things back with Charles Oliveira (34-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC) in a co-main event Saturday UFC 309 (pay-per-view, ESPNews/Hulu/FX, ESPN+) at Madison Square Garden in New York.

He has bigger plans than trying to avenge his loss against Poirier.

“I’m not really worried about it,” Chandler continued. “I will be ranked ahead of him Saturday night at midnight when I beat Charles Oliveira. We’ve got other options: Max for the BMF belt, Islam for the title obviously. You’ve still got the Conor fight, still got ‘TUF 31,’ finishing that which needs to be finished.

“We had a contract signed. There’s a lot of options for me, and I don’t think he’s necessarily one of them at all. Maybe someday we’ll squash the beef, probably not. I think we will at some point. Right now, we’re just two dudes in the same division looking towards the same thing.”

[lawrence-related id=2754952,2599418,2595685,2596102]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Dustin Poirier: Ilia Topuria’s KO prediction of Max Holloway at UFC 308 is ‘almost impossible’

Dustin Poirier couldn’t stop Max Holloway when they fought, so he struggles to see Ilia Topuria doing living up to his KO call at UFC 308.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] is one of the most prolific knockout artists in UFC history. And if he couldn’t shut [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag]’s light off, he struggles to see [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] doing so at UFC 308.

Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) has been nothing short of adamant he will be the first to stop Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) with strikes in MMA competition when they meet in Saturday’s featherweight title headliner at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN+). He has promise to turn the lights of on “Blessed” at every turn, which is a bold statement given Holloway has the most fights in octagon history without being put down.

Poirier, who was one of the few fighters to stagger Holloway in the octagon in their epic Fight of the Year candidate at UFC 236 in April 2019, struggles to see Topuria doing what so many others before him couldn’t.

“To go out there and one-punch Max is going to be almost impossible, I think,” Poirier said on “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn. “It can happen, for sure. But I don’t think it will.”

Poirier will be working as a desk analyst for UFC 308 alongside Brendan Fitzgerald, Chael Sonnen and Din Thomas. He is leaning toward Holloway leaving with the belt in the highly anticipated encounter, but said it would be a tremendous statement from Topuria if he can get the job done.

“This is a big test,” Poirier said. “If he goes in there and beats Max or lasts with Max in the volume game and outpoints him, outfights him technically on the feet – that’s going to say so much about Ilia and where he’s going to go.

“I can’t pick against Max. I could see Topuria winning, but just Max, the experience and the championship fights he’s been in.”

[lawrence-related id=2780838,2780948,2780889,2780919]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

UFC 308: How to watch Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway title fight, Abu Dhabi lineup, odds, more

Here’s what you need to know to watch UFC 308 on pay-per-view and ESPN+.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

The UFC’s 12th pay-per-view event of 2024 goes down Saturday in the United Arab Emirates.

Here’s how to watch UFC 308 with the featherweight title on the line at the top of the card at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Broadcast and streaming info

Jon Anik, Paul Felder, Daniel Cormier

UFC 308 has a main card that begins at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT) on pay-per-view (via ESPN+). The nine-fight preliminary card streams on ESPN+ at 10 a.m. ET.

[autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag], [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] and [autotag]Din Thomas[/autotag] will serve as a desk analysts on the UFC 308 post-fight show and throughout the card, when necessary. [autotag]Brendan Fitzgerald[/autotag] will serve as the host.

[autotag]John Gooden[/autotag] will conduct pre and post-fight interviews backstage with some of the athletes on the UFC 308 card, as well as report additional real-time updates for the event.

[autotag]Jon Anik[/autotag] will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside.

He will command play-by-play alongside color commentators and UFC Hall of Famer Cormier and Felder.

(Mike Bohn, MMA Junkie)

Main event: Ilia Topuria

Jun 24, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Ilia Topuria (blue gloves) leaves the ring after he wins a unanimous decision against Josh Emmett (red gloves) in a featherweight bout during UFC Fight Night at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC
Opponent: Max Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Key wins: Alexander Volkanovski, Josh Emmett, Bryce Mitchell
Misc.: Knocked out Volkanovski, who has three wins over Holloway, to win the title in February. Bonuses in four straight fights.

Main event: Max Holloway

Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Max Holloway (blue gloves) fights Justin Gaethje (red gloves) during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC
Opponent: Ilia Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
Key wins: Justin Gaethje, Chan Sung Jung, Arnold Allen, Yair Rodriguez, Calvin Kattar, Frankie Edgar, Brian Ortega, Jose Aldo (twice), Charles Oliveira
Misc.: Has three straight wins since his third shot at Volkanovski in July 2022. His “BMF” win over Justin Gaethje was a double bonus winner and regarded as one of the greatest moments in MMA history. Holloway’s title run was one of the greatest, but it’s been nearly five years since he held the featherweight belt.

Co-main event: Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimaev def. Kamaru Usman, UFC 294

Record: 13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC
Opponent: Robert Whittaker (27-7 MMA, 17-5 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Key wins: Kamaru Usman, Kevin Holland, Gilbert Burns, Li Jingliang
Misc.: Chimaev is back for the first time in a year. A severe illness took him out of the fight in June.

Co-main event: Robert Whittaker

Robert Whittaker def. Ikram Aliskerov, UFC on ABC 6

Record: 27-7 MMA, 17-5 UFC
Opponent: Khamzat Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Key wins: Ikram Aliskerov, Paulo Costa, Marvin Vettori, Kelvin Gastelum, Jared Cannonier, Darren Till, Yoel Romero (twice), Ronaldo Souza, Derek Brunson
Misc.: Former champ has back-to-back wins over Costa and Aliskerov, the latter of which was a bonus-winning first-round knockout in June after Chimaev pulled out of their fight.

UFC debut: Carlos Leal

2023 PFL 9: New York at the The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. (Cooper Neill / PFL)

Record: 21-5
Opponent: Rinat Fakhretdinov (22-1-1 MMA, 4-0-1 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Key wins: Dilano Taylor, Ray Cooper III
Misc.: 30-year-old Brazilian has fought for Bellator and in two PFL seasons.

UFC debut: Raffael Cerqueira

https://www.instagram.com/p/DBTcZwBJg5R

Record: 11-0
Opponent: Ibo Aslan (13-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Misc.: 34-year-old Brazilian was supposed to fight on DWCS in September, but two opponents pulled out on him. When he was booked a third time, the opportunity came to just skip the line and go straight to the show against Aslan.

UFC 308 main card betting odds

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakic, UFC 308

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 2 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Ilia Topuria (-245) vs. Max Holloway (+200) – for featherweight title
  • Khamzat Chimaev (-220) vs. Robert Whittaker (+180)
  • Magomed Ankalaev (-390) vs. Aleksandar Rakic (+290)
  • Dan Ige (+165) vs. Lerone Murphy (-195)
  • Shara Magomedov (-175) vs. Armen Petrosyan (+145)

UFC 308 prelim betting odds

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 16: (R-L) Chris Barnett punches Martin Buday of Slovakia in a heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on April 16, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 7:30 p.m. ET)

  • Ibo Aslan (-120) vs. Raffael Cerqueira (+100)
  • Rafael dos Anjos (+235) vs. Geoff Neal (-290)
  • Myktybek Orolbai (-280) vs. Mateusz Rebecki (+230)
  • Brunno Ferreira (+125) vs. Abus Magomedov (-150)
  • Chris Barnett (+400) vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu (-550)
  • Farid Basharat (-550) vs. Victor Hugo (+375)
  • Ismail Naurdiev (-120) vs. Bruno Silva (+100)
  • Rinat Fakhretdinov (N/A) vs. Carlos Leal (N/A)

UFC 308 preview videos

 

UFC CEO Dana White supports Dustin Poirier’s decision to keep fighting

Dana White thinks Dustin Poirier still has a lot of fight left in him.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] still has a lot of fight left in him.

Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC), who’s coming off a title loss to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 in June, says he has one or two more fights left in him. He’d love for his final fight to be in his home state of Louisiana amid rumors of the UFC’s potential return there in 2025.

White reminded everyone that it was just two fights ago when Poirier knocked out surging contender Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299 in March.

“Look at what he did. I mean, everybody was talking about his execution against Saint Denis, all that sh*t that was talked, and look at what he did,” White said after Dana White’s Contender Series 76 on Tuesday. “You can never count Poirier out. That’s up to him. He’s going to decide whether he wants to fight or doesn’t want to fight. It’s always up to them – it’s not up to me.

“But to say, ‘Oh, he should probably walk away right now?’ I don’t know about that. I didn’t think that Cormier should have walked away when he did, but Cormier did. He felt it was time to go, and he did it. He’s moved on, and he’s doing great. Look at the second career he has now – it’s unbelievable. All these other guys, they need to start thinking about that.”

Poirier never realized his goal of undisputed UFC gold, but was able to capture the interim lightweight title in 2019. He holds notable wins over Max Holloway twice, Conor McGregor twice, Justin Gaethje, Eddie Alvarez, and Michael Chandler.

[lawrence-related id=2777520,2770648,2768417]

UFC to New Orleans? Dustin Poirier, Louisiana commission indicate discussions ongoing

The UFC could be headed to New Orleans for the first time since 2015, according to state records and comments by Dustin Poirier.

It seems the wheels are spinning on a potential UFC event in New Orleans.

During a September meeting of the Louisiana State Boxing & Wrestling Commission, members discussed how the UFC was interested in heading to New Orleans sometime in 2025, according to state records obtained by MMA Junkie.

The commission also indicated that the event, should it happen, could occur in the first quarter of the year and feature [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag].

However during an interview Wednesday with Uncrowned, Poirier seemed to indicate the event might not happen until later in the year.

Poirier, 35, looks to bounce back from a failed title bid vs. Islam Makahchev in June. He teased a potential retirement after that fight, but it appears new life has been breathed into his career with a potential Louisiana send-off.

“Just how this thing unfolds, we’ll see when I do retire,” Poirier said. “It could be uno mas, it could be dos mas. I had a good meeting at the UFC headquarters. I was out there with Celsius at a trade show and I had a good meeting. So I could come back. My goal is to get a fight and an event here in Louisiana, whether that’s Lafayette, Louisiana or New Orleans. I want to lay the gloves down where I started fighting. That’s my goal.

“Just opponent availability, what makes sense. Behind the scenes, and people don’t understand this, these shows are booked a year in advance. I think a week ago, we were speaking about it, and he was already booked with pay-per-views through August. It’s hard to just throw things together last second. It takes a lot of planning. There are a lot of moving parts with these big UFC events. But my goal is to take my gloves off in Louisiana and retire at home.”

https://twitter.com/mma_kings/status/1846262579326603569

Should the UFC touch down in Louisiana, it’ll be the ninth time the state has hosted the promotion overall – but the first since a Dan Henderson vs. Tim Boestch-headlined card in June 2015.

[lawrence-related id=2777520,2770648,2722825]

Dana White: Dustin Poirier’s four-man BMF title tournament idea ‘sounds fun’

Dana White didn’t immediately say no to the idea of a four-man BMF title tournament proposed by Dustin Poirier.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] likes the idea of a four-man BMF title tournament that’s been proposed by [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag].

Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC), who lost to Justin Gaethje by knockout in their BMF title fight at UFC 291, would love to enter that title picture again. The BMF title has since changed hands when Max Holloway scored an iconic knockout of Gaethje at UFC 300 in April.

Poirier knows he doesn’t have too many fights left in him but would be all in for a four-man BMF tournament between him, Gaethje (25-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC), Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC), and Dan Hooker (24-12 MMA, 14-8 UFC). Poirier has history with all three fighters, going 1-1 with Gaethje, and defeating both Holloway and Hooker.

“That excites me because that kind of stuff is for the dogs, man,” Poirier told MMA Today. “That’s like the old PRIDE days or grand prixs, you know? That’s a real BMF. If you can fight in a tournament in one night, multiple opponents, I mean, dude, that’s kind of the definition of a BMF.”

White, who’s instantly shot down other tournaments before, had a positive reaction when asked about Poirier’s idea.

“Sounds fun,” White said during a Dana White’s Contender Series 75 post-fight news conference at the UFC Apex. “Never thought about it, but yeah, I love it.”

A tournament would also excite Hooker, who responded on “X.”

“Don’t threaten me with a good time. 😂.”

Since losing his BMF title fight against Gaethje, Poirier rebounded with a knockout of Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299. He then challenged lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 but fell short by fourth-round submission.

As for BMF champion Holloway, he will look to add another belt when he challenges featherweight champion Ilia Topuria in the UFC 308 main event Oct. 26 in Abu Dhabi.

[lawrence-related id=2765106,2753947,2738769,2734101]

REPLAY VIDEO: MMA Junkie Radio milestone Episode #3500 with big-name guests galore!

Celebrate MMA Junkie Radio’s 3,500th episode with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” as they welcomed in a plethora of big-name guests.

Thursday’s episode of MMA Junkie Radio is like no other!

Hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” celebrated their 3,500th episode with a special live stream of the show.

A plethora of big-name guests joined the show, including UFC stars of the past and present: [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag], [autotag]Randy Couture[/autotag], Chael Sonnen, [autotag]Rashad Evans[/autotag], [autotag]Gilbert Melendez[/autotag], [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag], [autotag]Johny Hendricks[/autotag], and [autotag]Frank Trigg[/autotag]. Also joining the show were Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick, UFC reporter Megan Olivi, commedian/actor Joey Diaz, the legendary Burt Watson, as well as members of the MMA Junkie staff. Tune in!

You can watch the live stream of episode #3500 in the video above.

‘Once more into the fray’: Dustin Poirier says he will return for one more UFC fight

After taking time to decide his future, it appears former UFC interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier will make the walk again.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] appears to have decided his fighting future.

“The Diamond” has been a professional fighter since 2009, and he knows his final days are ahead. Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) is coming off what he believed would be his final shot at claiming the undisputed UFC lightweight title at UFC 302.

After coming up short against Islam Makhachev in MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Month for June, Poirier said he would take some time with family to evaluate if he would fight again or retire.

At the beginning of August, Poirier told MMA Junkie he would take 30 days to decide his next step. Friday, Poirier posted on social media that he will return for one more fight, quoting Liam Neeson in “The Grey.”

“I will,” Poirier wrote in response to a fan saying they needed to see him make one more talk to the cage. “Once more into the fray, into the last good fight I’ll ever know. Live and die on this day, live and die on this day.”

https://twitter.com/DustinPoirier/status/1832186664367628497

Before and after his most recent bouts, Poirier, 35, has stated he must have a good reason to continue fighting. His last appearance was clear, with UFC gold on the line. It was an important goal, as he claimed interim gold in 2019 by defeating Max Holloway at UFC 236, but couldn’t reach undisputed status.

Poirier has traded wins and losses over his past five fights, all against the elite of the UFC’s lightweight division. His last string of consecutive victories came in 2020-21, when he defeated Dan Hooker and Conor McGregor in their second and third meeting.

[lawrence-related id=2759227,2754952,2753815]