As UFC 302 edges, Dustin Poirier contemplates his stakes in the game. On June 1st, at Newark’s Prudential Center (ESPN+), Dustin Poirier faces Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title strap. The veteran lightweight is still ready to go to war but understands he won’t be doing this forever. He again and again voices that any fight could be his last. One thing that keeps him going for UFC 302 is his daughter.
‘Diamond’ does shine brightest under pressure. Poirier proved that in his fiery 5-round co-main event at UFC 299. The underdog challenged Frenchman Benoit Saint-Denis and came out on top. However, for a fourth time now (UFC 291 post-fight, twice before UFC 299), he told The Fight Bananas Show LIVE hosts that UFC 302 could be his last chance at the gold. As such, this isn’t just any other fight as his daughter would attend her first fight event.
My daughter’s gonna be there, front row, for the first time ever, Â want to show her that you can accomplish your dreams…I think this might be the last time I get a shot at raising that belt up in the air…
Dustin Poirier via The MMA Hour
In a sitdown on The MMA Hour with host Ariel Helwani, Dustin Poirier revealed the importance of this title fight. His resolve was never in question despite the shrouds of retirement surrounding the air. The lightweight has often voiced thoughts of calling quits but doesn’t shy away in the octagon. Even American Top Team stablemate Grant Dawson takes inspiration from Poirier to rebound on the same UFC 302 card in Newark, N.J.
Despite his UFC 291 KO, Poirier rebounded to defeat Saint-Denis. Now, with Isam Makhachev looking to defend his belt, Poirier slid into the contention picture. He’s as much a success story as it ever gets if he snags the gold. However, the greater importance to him is the personal significance of his daughter attending. This might be his only remaining title shot chance in front of his daughter.
Dustin Poirier once explained how his daughter kickstarted his foundation
Dustin Poirier is a fighter, in and out. Not only does he challenge tough opponents in the ring, but he also combats social situations outside it. His non-profit – The Good Fight Foundation, started when a police officer fell in the line of duty; Poirier started the effort to get his and other such families left behind in the aftermath acclimated to the loss.
Moving to home turf for his daughter gave rise to Dustin Poirier’s non-profit (Source: Instagram, @dustinpoirier )Disconnected from his home as a globe-trotting fighter, the situation had hit close to home for the Lafayette, Louisiana native. Hence, when his daughter, Parker Noelle Poirier, was born, Poirier and his wife, Jolie, moved back in 2016. Poirier once mentioned that the effort to make Parker feel close at home was where the sentiment of the foundation stemmed from.
Part of moving back was that we didn’t want to keep [Parker] away from family. In Lafayette, she’s around grandmas and uncles and aunts, but we also wanted to raise her where my wife and I grew up…[preparing for the move] We were loading up the U-Haul, and I realized just how much of it I had… We decided to auction it off and give it to charity…We saw how much of an impact that made and decided to start our own organization to be the middleman for other charities, raising money to help them do their work…
Dustin Poirier via Caroline Sanders Clements of gardens&guns.com
Poirier’s resulting non-profit, The Good Fight Foundation, has been responsible for school supply drives for Acadian Middle School since then. The foundation has also made contributions to food banks and Louisiana children’s hospitals. Alongside, they also arranged for a differently-abled-accessible playground in memory of a local boy who passed away from a rare neurological disease. All in all, the charitable efforts of Poirier has come a long way from its initial days.
