Tag: Dustin Poirier

Video: Dustin Poirier receives warm hometown welcome even after UFC 302 title-fight loss

It wasn’t with an undisputed UFC championship belt around his waist, but Dustin Poirier still received warm welcome from Lafayette.

It wasn’t with an undisputed UFC championship belt around his waist or over his shoulder, but [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] still received warm welcome from his hometown in Louisiana.

Poirier fought hard this past Saturday but ultimately fell to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, who grinded through almost 25 full minutes before winning by late fifth-round submission. Although Poirier once held a UFC interim title at 155 pounds, the loss marked his third time coming up short at claiming undisputed gold after two previous losses to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira.

Still, that didn’t stop a large gathering of fans to greet him at the airport in Lafayette, including local TV news crews.

Check out the videos below:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Daniel Cormier urges Dustin Poirier not to retire after UFC 302: ‘He’s got a lot of money to be made’

Daniel Cormier advises Dustin Poirier against retirement after UFC 302.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] advises [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] against retirement after UFC 302.

Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) fell short in his third shot at undisputed gold when he was submitted by lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) in this past Saturday’s headliner at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

After losing to Makhachev, Poirier said that may have been his final fight. Cormier doesn’t like hearing Poirier ponder retirement, and sees many big money fights for him outside of the belt.

“I don’t want to see him go,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “I don’t know that he should go. I think that what Dustin Poirier should do is take the big fights. He’s such an attraction now in the world of fighting that he’s got a lot of money to be made, but also a lot of big fights to be had.

“He’s only 35 years old, so he can do this for a long time. Maybe don’t fight as frequently, but continue to make that walk because once you’re done, you’re done and you can’t come back from it.”

Cormier also lauded Poirier for the way he fought against Makhachev. ‘The Diamond” showed improved takedown defense, but was ultimately submitted in Round 5.

“He fought as good in losing as he’s fought in a really long time,” Cormier said. “I think that he was better (Saturday) than he was against Benoit Saint Denis, and that’s a credit to him and his coaching staff. I thought he fought well.

“Clearly, you lose, yes, there’s some disappointment. But overall, I think Dustin Poirier is going to be very proud of his performance in the octagon. But if this is it, congrats DP, man. You did something many could never have expected you to do.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: Islam Makhachev submits Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor parties, Nick Diaz returns, more

On “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel discusses Islam Makhachev’s win over Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor’s partying videos and more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King and Mike Bohn will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at 11 a.m. ET (8 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:

  • [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] remains the champion at 155 pounds. The Khabib Nurmagomedov protege completed his third title defense at lightweight, submitting longtime contender [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] in a thrilling bout in the main event of UFC 302. After the fight, Makhachev called for a chance to fight for the welterweight belt. Should the UFC grant this wish to Makhachev? Where does Saturday’s win put Makhachev in the pound-for-pound conversation? Should Poirier retire after the loss? We discuss.
  • UFC 302 saw other results outside the lone title fight, as [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] got back to his winning ways; [autotag]Kevin Holland [/autotag] picked up a first-round submission win in his return to middleweight; Jailton Almeida continues to be a threat at heavyweight; and more. We revew some of the other highlights of Saturday’s card.
  • The card that will be hosting [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]’s return to the octagon has finally taken shape. The promotion added an intriguing welterweight bout between [autotag]Ian Machado Garry[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag], while also getting [autotag]Carlos Ulberg[/autotag] to step in for [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag] to take on [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag]. The panel discusses the latest additions to the event, along with the videos that surfaced showing McGregor partying weeks away from his return.
  • [autotag]Nick Diaz[/autotag] is back and so is [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag]. The two beloved MMA veterans make their return on Aug. 3 at UFC on ABC 7 in Abu Dhabi. On that same card, two big bouts pitting Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Marlon Vera, and Mackenzie Dern vs. Loopy Godinez were also added. How do we feel about Diaz and Ferguson’s return bouts? What do these other matchups mean for their respective divisions? We cover it all.

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If Dustin Poirier doesn’t retire, ex-champ Alexander Volkanovski wants ‘a little dance’ after UFC 302

It’ll be nothing new to Dustin Poirier, but if he decides to stick around, he’ll have no shortage of potential opponents.

It’ll be nothing new to [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag], but if he decides to stick around in the MMA game a little bit longer, he’ll have no shortage of potential opponents while he heads toward the sunset.

Add former featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] to this list of fighters who would sign on the line for a fight with Poirier after UFC 302 on Saturday.

In the main event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) was submitted in the fifth round by lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC), who defended his title for the third time, which ties the UFC’s record. Poirier, a former interim lightweight champ, had his third shot at an undisputed belt.

After the loss, Poirier said it may have been his final fight. At 35, he’s been fighting more than half his life, since he was 17. But Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) let it be known after UFC 302 he’d be interested in a fight with Poirier.

In February at UFC 298, Volkanovski lost the featherweight title to Ilia Topuria by second-round knockout. Topuria has been angling for a fight with Max Holloway with the “BMF” belt up for grabs, so Volkanovski may be hedging his bets if a rematch for the title isn’t in the cards.

“Maybe, just maybe, depending on what I’m doing and when – obviously I want to fight later in the year when I know exactly what’s happening,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel (h/t to Championship Rounds). “I don’t want to wait too long, either. If the timing works, maybe me and Dustin could have a good fight. I know he just wants good, fun fights. We’ve got a lot of respect for each other, and I think that would be a massive fight.

“That’s something that I’d be willing to do while I’m waiting for that featherweight title (shot). Maybe I could get a lightweight fight against someone like a Dustin Poirier, it would be great. You heard it here first. Maybe we can make something happen. Dustin, you’re a legend. Keep your head up. That was a great performance, still. Maybe we could have a little fun in there – have a little dance. Let me know what you think.”

Volkanovski has been adamant that his next fight at featherweight will be a fight for the title he once held. Short of that, he’ll fight at lightweight – where he lost two title shots to Makhachev before he lost his featherweight belt to Topuria.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Video: Watch Islam Makhachev, Dustin Poirier’s backstage conversation after UFC 302

If Dustin Poirier is done with his fighting career, the man who would be his final opponent wants him to know he was an all-time great.

NEWARK, N.J. – If [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] is done with his fighting career, the man who would be his final opponent wants him to know he was an all-time great.

That was part of the message from [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) to Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) backstage after UFC 302 on Saturday at Prudential Center. Makhachev defended his lightweight title in the main event, and Poirier said after the fight it might have been his last.

The former interim lightweight champion met up with Makhachev backstage to thank him for the fight and wish him and his team future luck. The two further appeared to bury the hatchet from what purportedly was a misunderstanding earlier in the week due to differences in language, and Makhachev told Poirier he considers him one of the best.

Check out their exchange below, courtesy of the UFC on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7t7LlSNQBD

Poirier was submitted by Makhachev in the fifth round. It was the Louisiana native’s third shot at an undisputed UFC title, and though he’s only 35, after the fight he pointed to the wear and tear on his body of fighting for more than half of his life as a factor more than the age itself.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Dana White: After UFC 302, Dustin Poirier can stay as long as he wants

Dana White gives his opinion on Dustin Poirier saying that he might retire following his title loss at Saturday’s UFC 302.

NEWARK, N.J. – [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] may or may not continue fighting, but one thing is certain: He’ll always have the doors open at the UFC.

The former interim UFC lightweight champion teased retirement following his defeat in his title fight against 155-pound cham Islam Makhachev. Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) was submitted by Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) in the main event of Saturday’s UFC 302.

In his post-fight interview, Poirier said he was unsure if he wanted to continue fighting and said Saturday’s performance could’ve been the last time fans got to see him fight.

UFC CEO [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] thinks it’s a personal decision, but is all in on Poirier continuing to fight – if that’s what he chooses to do.

“It’s up to him, it’s not up to me,” White said at the UFC 302 post-fight press conference. “He knows what he wants and what he doesn’t want. He knows how he felt, he knows how he feels right now, and that’s all up to him. Listen, he’s a star. He can stay here as long as he wants to.”

In terms of the performance itself, White was blown away with what he saw from both Makhachev and Poirier. Like many, White enjoyed their championship fight and thought Poirier had one of his best career performances.

“Incredible fight,” White said. “Both guys dug deep. It was an absolute war. Islam is tough as hell and talented, and he ate some big body shots tonight and took that elbow to the forehead. I thought that Poirier did an unbelievable job at stuffing takedowns and getting up when he was in nasty positions and getting out of that submission in the first round. You couldn’t ask for more for a main event title fight.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Dustin Poirier reacts to UFC 302 loss, ponders future: ‘What else am I fighting for?’

Following UFC 302, Dustin Poirier openly discussed his thoughts on retirement and what went wrong vs. Islam Makhachev.

NEWARK, N.J. – [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] isn’t sure what’s next.

Heading into UFC 302, Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) considered whatever happened in Saturday’s title fight “destiny.” But now that he’s found out winning was not in the cards, Poirier struggles to decipher what it all means for his future.

As he sat on stage with his red “WAR” hat and floral shirt after his submission loss to Islam Makhachev, Poirier worked through the debate aloud, though he knew a decision would not come in the immediate.

“I was fighting to be the world champion,” Poirier told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. “What else am I fighting for? Just to fight for the thrill – because I am addicted to it, no doubt … for the money? I’m good.

“Me and my family are good. I don’t need the money. Money is great, but my health is first. What am I fighting for? To be the champion, again? Will I ever get that shot, even if I get on a streak? I don’t know. But it’s such a tough mountain to climb that I’ve climbed so many times.

Poirier, 35, is a perennial contender and showed elite skills during his main event vs. Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) at Prudential Center. The fight was his third failed title defense.

“I’m 35 and I see people and hear people say, ‘That’s not old.’ But I have 50 fights,” Poirier said. “I’ve been fighting since I was 17 years old. I fought my first cage fight when I was 18. I have 10 fights that aren’t on my record. I’ve just got to digest everything, talk to my family, talk to my coaches, and see. There’s no rush on it but this could be my last fight. I don’t know. I’ve just got to get home and see what I’m fighting for.”

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If Poirier had won and earned the title, he thinks the decision would’ve been easier. The only box unchecked on his list would’ve been marked. Now, the box remains empty, even though he was so close.

“That’s the problem,” Poirier said. “Tonight, if I were to have won that belt, I’d be content with everything I’ve done in this sport. It’s just I didn’t get the ultimate goal. The reason I started fighting was to be the champion, undisputed. I didn’t get it. I don’t know. I don’t know.”

Fighting is a large part of Poirier’s identity. Filling the time, energy, and effort will be impossible, he predicted.

“Nothing fills that void of competition I’ve been doing for so long – the pureness of it, the 1-on-1 combat, preparing myself,” Poirier said. “But fighting is such a selfish sport. I’ve taken away from the people I love by focusing so much on my myself and trying to master this craft. I don’t know. It’s just a lot of stuff to weigh on.”

Weigh, Poirier will.

UFC CEO Dana White said after Saturday’s event the promotion will always have a roster spot for him. It’s up to him if he wants it.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

UFC 302 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Islam Makhachev’s $42,000 tops card

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 302 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $218,500.

NEWARK, N.J. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 302 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $281,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 302 took place at Prudential Center. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC 302 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Michal Oleksiejczuk[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Niko Price[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Alex Morono[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Randy Brown[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Roman Kopylov[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Cesar Almeida[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Joe Solecki[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Alexandr Romanov[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jake Matthews[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Phil Rowe[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Bassil Hafez[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Mickey Gall[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Joselyne Edwards[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Andre Lima[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Mitch Raposo[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $3,264,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $26,001,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

UFC 302 results: Islam Makhachev finishes Dustin Poirier in final round of absolute thriller

Dustin Poirier had his moments at UFC 302 and even sliced the champion, but Islam Makhachev got the job done late.

NEWARK, N.J. – [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] had 25 minutes to finish the story, but [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] wrote an alternate ending.

In an all-time thrilling battle, Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) submitted Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) with a D’Arce choke at the 2:42 mark of Round 5. The lightweight title bout was the UFC 302 main event Saturday at Prudential Center.

Poirier immediately found himself in deep, dangerous waters early in Round 1, as Makhachev almost immediately took him down. Makhachev worked to the back but Poirier’s rear-naked choke defense was sufficient enough to survive the round.

As Round 2 progressed, Poirier found increasing success. He stuffed Makhachev’s takedown attempts, though each sequence was a lengthy struggle. Poirier found success in the pocket and in the clinch, particularly with a left elbow.

With each strike Poirier landed, Prudential Center burst into deafening cheers. Chants of “F*ck you, Islam,” also proved this was Poirier’s turf.

But Makhachev blocked out the thousands of expletives spit his way. In Round 3, he landed some hard punches on Poirier before he dragged it to the canvas once again. Poirier dug deep, raised to the feet, and shoved Makhachev off.

Upon the break, Poirier blew out a half-booger, half-blood hybrid and marched forward. Poirier landed on Makhachev, who returned. The two fighters exchanged blows until the end-of-round horn. Poirier stuck out his tongue as he walked back to the corner, his eyes swollen.

Both fighters showed wear, tear, and fatigue in the early stages of the championship rounds. An initially-slow clinch sequence against the cage burst into a Poirier body shot barrage as he punished the champion’s midsection.

As they separated, Poirier came on strong. He sliced Makhachev badly above the left eye. At the end of the round, the two fighters came forehead-to-forehead, leaving blood prints on one another.

In the final round, Makhachev engaged Poirier in a takedown attempt. He was relentless and used a single-leg takedown that tripped Poirier. Makhachev eventually worked for a guillotine choke that he switched to a D’Arce to get the tap.

Poirier remained down while doctors and commission officials tended to him. Makhachev’s team hopped the cage in celebration. That included Bellator champion Usman Nurmagomedov, who was seated in the crowd but still scaled a barrier and the cage to hug his teammate. Nurmagomedov was escorted backstage by security.

After the fight, Makhachev called for a welterweight title shot after his third successful lightweight title defense.

Poirier hinted once again at retirement, but couldn’t commit. Poirier was emotional as he shouted out his loved ones for their support  throughout his career.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 302 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

UFC 302 video: Hear from each winner, guest fighters backstage

Check out what the UFC 302 winners and guest fighters had to say backstage at Saturday’s event.

NEWARK, N.J. – UFC 302 took place Saturday with 12 bouts on the lineup. We’ve got you covered with backstage winner interviews from Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

You can hear from all the UFC 302 winners by checking out their post-fight news conferences below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.