Dustin Poirier will receive a hero’s welcome in his native Louisiana at UFC 318 when he battles Max Holloway for a third time in their careers. It’s a respect Poirier earned from his peers and the promotion that they would take a PPV event to New Orleans for the first time in 25 years as a proper send off to one of the good guys in the sport’s history.
Mixed martial arts’ biggest stars have a knack for letting us down. Conor McGregor and Jon Jones spend more time embroiled in controversies and toying with retirement than actually fighting. Holloway vs. Poirier 3 pairs two of the sport’s last good guys as well as some of the final American PPV stars.
“Some of these guys have characters or masks that they wear,” Poirier told CBS Sports. “Whether it’s fight week or I’m in the grocery store, it’s the same thing. I try to follow my moral compass and do what I think is right, and be a good person. If people appreciate that, I appreciate them for recognizing it.”
Poirier commands near-universal respect — except for McGregor and, to an extent, Michael Chandler, but they have many detractors of their own. Most who’ve fought against or trained alongside Poirier praise him, illuminating the contrast between his violent fights and grounded attitude.
Dustin Poirier retirement: Islam Makhachev, Justin Gaethje and more remember legacy of ‘The Diamond’
Shakiel Mahjouri
“It was an honor sharing the mat with him,” said former UFC women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Poirier’s former training partner at American Top Team. “I love you, Dustin. We all do. We are one big family. He’s such a great guy. He helps so many people. He runs his foundation. He’s a role model.”
The warm reception admittedly catches Poirier off guard. He hasn’t avoided controversy with a carefully curated PR plan. He doesn’t run the Good Fight Foundation — a nonprofit helping undeserved communities in Louisiana — with his wife, Jolie Poirier, to win points. Poirier does so because, similar to his excellence through violence, he’s drawn to it.
“You’re an outlier being yourself because everyone is so fake. That’s crazy for me to think about,” Poirier said. “People saying, ‘Wow, Dustin and Max are real guys! Good guys!’ I’m sure he does a bunch of dumb shit. I’ve definitely done a lot of dumb stuff that I regret. But I’m not faking or walking around in flashy suits, trying to get people’s attention. I’m just living my life.”
That tension between humility and authenticity makes Poirier special in a sport fueled by outside antics. The blood he shed for our entertainment speaks volumes more than any trash talk.
Poirier, the former interim lightweight champion, is one of the few non-undisputed UFC champs deserving a Hall of Fame induction. His resume is staggering, even without the belt that eluded him. Poirier holds UFC records for most Fight of the Night bonuses and lightweight knockouts, and ranks top four in any division for wins, finishes and bonuses.
Most revealing, perhaps, is a record he shares with Mount Rushmore fighters Jones, Georges St-Pierre and Amanda Nunes: the most finishes (6) against current, former or future UFC champions.
Poirier might have been an undisputed champ in another era. It just so happened that he fought in with a legendary class the likes of which we’ll never see again: Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, Charles Oliveira, McGregor, Justin Gaethje and Tony Ferguson, to name some.
Poirier wasn’t just a contender. He was part of the golden age that made greatness harder to define, let alone achieve. Through heartbreak and three failed UFC title shots, Poirier still built a legacy more enduring than many one-and-done champions.
“He showed MMA fans so many great fights,” former UFC lightweight champion Makhachev, Poirier’s last opponent, told CBS Sports. “He’s one of the big stars in our sport. He’s a legend and a very good man.”
Poirier won’t be remembered as the all-time best, but that’s not the reputation he seeks. Poirier only hopes fans remember the authenticity with which he fought. Someone who never turned down a challenge or compromised on his fighting philosophy. It’s perfect because it wasn’t engineered. It’s him personified.
“A kid chasing a dream to find out how good of a fighter he can be to change his life through this sport, using fighting as a vehicle to reach the stars. I created a great life for my family. Along the way, I created a legacy as a byproduct.
“I wasn’t trying to leave a legacy. I was trying to make things happen. It’s the truth. I want people to remember me as a guy who showed up to fight, win or lose, every time. You knew it would be a good scrap when Dustin was on a fight card.”
Check out the full interview with Dustin Poirier below.
Poirier solidified that reputation well before laying down the gloves on Saturday. Ironically, Chandler, one of Poirier’s few adversaries in the sport, best conveyed how Poirier had become everything he sought to be.
“He’s a guy who grew up in the UFC. He’s earned his stripes. He’s paid in full for everything he’s accomplished,” Chandler told CBS Sports. “The wins he’s had, the losses he’s taken, and the way he came back from those losses fighting for numerous titles… When that cage door closes, you should buy the pay-per-view when Dustin Poirier is on the card.”
Few nicknames fit as perfectly as “The Diamond.” Raw material refined through pressure, imperfect but unbreakable. Poirier didn’t check every box for a UFC Hall of Famer, yet he’s more qualified than most. It’s fitting for someone who approaches the fight game with a blue-collar mentality from day one.
“As a 17-year-old kid, I felt I could be one of the best fighters in the world,” Poirier said. “I went out and did it.”
Who wins UFC 318: Holloway vs. Poirier 3, and how exactly does the fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks and analysis from the incomparable expert who is up over $21,000 on his UFC picks since May 19, 2018, and find out.
