Our Favorite Dustin Poirier Moments

My favorite Dustin Poirier moment had nothing to do with a fight, but the aftermath of one. A couple weeks after he lost to The Korean Zombie, I ran into him in Vegas. I complimented him on a great fight, and he looked at me like I kicked his dog. Tensions eased quickly, but it was a living, breathing example of what this sport meant to him and what it means to him to this day. There are no moral victories, even if they come with a Fight of the Night bonus attached to them. He's a fighter to the core and always will be. — Thomas Gerbasi

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Man On A Mission

Between 2017 and 2021, Dustin Poirier headlined nine straight main events, winning seven of them. While he’s never in a boring fight, one of the most entertaining bouts from that run was his first clash with Justin Gaethje in Glendale, Arizona.

April 14, 2018, Fight Night Glendale. Dustin has just knocked out Justin Gaethje in a wild, back-and-forth slobberknocker of a main event that lasted into the fourth round. Poirier got his hand raised that night, but he didn’t emerge unscathed. His opponent’s brutal leg kicks had left him on crutches, and he wore sunglasses to cover some of the souvenirs Gaethje’s significant strikes had left behind.

In his hobbled state, the post-fight presser became an improvised affair, with Poirier sitting on a folding chair while we in the media huddled around him in a scrum. And it was here that the tone shifted. After completing yet another unforgettable, Herculean battle, “The Diamond” went tender as he reflected on his career to that point.

“I just want to go to sleep with that belt around my waist one night, and tell my wife, ‘I did it.’ Years and years ago…my wife…” he explained, his voice cracking with emotion, “I didn’t have a car. She would drive me to weigh-ins. We would sleep in broken down motels, and I would fight the next day. Just me and her. And I just want to say, ‘I did it.’”

Nobody in earshot had a dry eye that night, and I get a little misty even thinking about it. In an ocean of big Poirier moments, that’s the one I’ll always remember. — Steve Latrell

A Gentleman In Victory

Reaching the top of the heap in the lightweight division is no small feat, and staying there for as long as Poirier has is even more impressive. But in a sport’s culture which celebrates titles above all else, you couldn’t help but feel good for Poirier when he got the interim lightweight belt wrapped around his waist in Atlanta after 25 minutes of war against Max Holloway, especially as the emotion poured out from him in his Octagon interview.

To me, though, what I loved the most was what happened backstage after it was all said and done. As Holloway was getting stitched up post-fight, Poirier spotted Holloway’s son, Rush, crying while he waited to see his father. Poirier, a dad himself, went up to him and offered a comforting word, saying, “Your dad is a champion. Your dad is fine. He’s good.”

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It was a small gesture but one I always think of when thinking about Poirier. One could describe Poirier’s fighting life as an uphill grind. It takes a certain kind of killer instinct, mental toughness and heart to achieve what he has in the way he’s done it, but he hasn’t allowed those battles to cloud his view of what’s important to him. It’s the guy he is outside the heat of competition that endears him to many in and around the sport. He’s a man who has earned the respect of every person in the MMA world, and he also knows enough to see when another person has earned their flowers as well. That’s why he’ll always be a real one to me.  — Zac Pacleb

“How ‘Bout That, Dan?”

"The Diamond" has never lost back-to-back fights, and, more impressively, if you look at those eight performances, he's always rebounded with a massive effort, usually against an absolute killer because Poirier has never shied away from travelling the hard road. The last time was in this position, the departing 36-year-old was stationed opposite Benoit Saint Denis in a fight many believed was booked to get the ascending French fighter a marquee victory, but there was Poirier, navigating rough waters early and jumping too many guillotines before putting Saint Denis away midway through the second round, earning another championship opportunity in the process.

In moments where setbacks could have prompted him to ease off the gas, take a step back in competition or just not have the push and drive to get by another dangerous, hungry standout, Poirier has always risen to the occasion, showing the heart and resilience that has made him your favorite fighter's favorite fighter, and mine, as well. — E. Spencer Kyte