Dustin Poirier’s fighting future faces big questions as he prepares for UFC 302. He meets reigning champ Islam Makhachev in a lightweight title fight this weekend. Poirier must make do with his third crack at the UFC gold. Considering the state of the lightweight division, the former interim champion will not receive another crack. As such, ‘The Diamond’ sports a most Zen disposition as he preps for it.
What has to happen happens. This isn’t some rocket science or quantum supplantation gibberish. This is what the Louisiana lightweight thinks of his title opportunity — that everything happens for a reason. Unlike the Dagestani, he makes a third bid for the gold on home turf. Even more significantly, he told his friend Ariel Helwani (MMAFighting on SBN) that his daughter might attend her first fight.
Mentally, physically, I’m ready to go…[so] maybe, it’s time [the right time]. Like I said over and over again…destiny doesn’t make mistakes…What’s meant for me won’t miss me! …If this is my destiny, if it’s supposed to happen, I’ll put in the work like I’ve always done…and I am gonna go out there and give it all I got. And if it’s supposed to happen, it’ll happen and I’ll be world champion.
Dustin Poirier to ESPN MMA’s Andreas Hale in pre-fight Fight Week interview
Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) has a couple of high-paying tints against consensus PPV king Conor McGregor at UFC 257 and UFC 264. His Louisiana Style “Hot Sauce” — a condimental collaboration with Heartbeat Hot Sauce is the promotion’s go-to choice. So, he isn’t prizefighting at this point. The 35-year-old is just putting in the work in hopes of cementing a legacy.
Consequently, he thinks the third time might just be the charm. The veteran lightweight isn’t contemplating climbing up the contention ladder yet again. Already boasting a storied career, he just wants to prove himself in front of his daughter, given this could be her last time watching him fight. With his stout prepping, everything unquestionably fits into the puzzle of him winning the gold.
UFC lightweight champ Islam Makhachev gives high praise to Dustin Poirier ahead of fight
Poirier, a former interim lightweight titleholder, tries his hand to capture undisputed gold for the third time. He meets reigning champ Islam Makhachev in Saturday’s UFC 302 headliner. His KO finish of Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 299’s co-main event at Kaseya Center in March labeled his position as a top-five KO artist in the UFC. Finally, capturing the title strap will add yet another chapter to his legacy.
Islam Makhachev commends Dustin Poirier as an all-around threat (Source: IMAGO/agfight.com)Makhachev opened up a 5-1 initial bettor’s favorite, as per BetGM. As of writing this, the 32-year-old is a surefire -600 to the underdog +400 Poirier. He is undefeated at 5-0 in his last few, while ‘The Diamond’ is a mix-bag of 3-2. However, Dustin Poirier’s underdog status is a commonality. The Lafayette native always opens up slightly less on the scales for the oddsmakers, only to prove a challenge later. The southpaw out of Dagestan respects that.
First of all, I want to say Dustin is one of the legends of our sport, He is someone who will undoubtedly be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame… He has been through many tough fights,…many title fights, fought for BMF title, and fought for UFC title several times…Whether he loses or wins, he will always be a challenge for everyone.
Islam Makhachev via Official Fight Week training camp VLOG | UFC 302 Training camp – Episode 2 (@KhabibTheEagle)
Poirier’s one title loss was against Makhachev’s mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, in September 2019. They’ve now switched roles, with Nurmagomedov being a surprise addition to UFC 302 camp. Both of them subsequently commend the challenge the opposition poses. A win for either fighter will only add to their legacy. As such, the matchup has huge implications.
