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.