In a recent interview with American Top Team’s ‘Punchin’ in, Dustin Poirier gave his take on his title fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242. Dustin had one of the better performances against ‘The Eagle’, catching him with a few flush shots to the chin and an extremely tight guillotine at the beginning of the third.

Watch What’s Trending Now!

However, the match came to a decisive end halfway through the third round with Nurmagomedov taking Poirier’s back and slipping in a rear-naked choke for the win. 

ALSO READ: Dustin Poirier’s Family: Meet The Diamond’s Wife Jolie Poirier and Daughter Parker Noelle Poirier 

ADVERTISEMENT

According to Poirier, Khabib’s superior positioning and balance while grappling are the key qualities that separated the former lightweight Champion from the rest of the division.   

“He’s just so advanced, and his feet are like hands, like his foot sweeps and the way he breaks you down, its good man he’s good, F**k, so good.”   


Khabib then went onto to defend his belt for the third and final time against Justin Gaethje to end his career with an astounding 29 wins and zero losses. On the other hand, Poirier has now racked up three wins, one against Dan Hooker followed by two over Conor McGregor, and is in line for another title shot against the current lightweight champion, Charles Olivera.  

ADVERTISEMENT

Will we ever see Dustin Poirier as the Lightweight Champion? 

Getty

Ever since his debut, Dustin Poirier has been one of the most dedicated and consistent fighters in the UFC. Having had his share of ups and downs, the Louisiana native is on a mission to get UFC gold wrapped around his waist. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Despite the disappointing result in his first title fight, Poirier immediately went back to the drawing board and has looked unstoppable ever since. In his performance against Dan Hooker, Poirier put on an incredible display of heart and grit throughout, ultimately securing a unanimous decision. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Watch This Story: Uriah Hall vs. Sean Strickland Stats: Record, Height, Reach, and More

Since then Dustin has gone on to win the trilogy matchup against Conor McGregor at UFC 257 and 264. Their second meeting at UFC 257 ended with an emphatic knockout for Poirier in the second round, while the third fight ended with McGregor snapping his leg towards the end of the first round resulting in a doctor stoppage. 

UFC 264: Dustin Poirier vs Conor McGregor

Reuters

Despite all the controversy in his last fight against McGregor, the Diamond now has two wins over the Irishman. He will now get ready to face the new lightweight champion Charles Oliveira for his second title shot.  

ADVERTISEMENT

Securing a win over a crafty Charles Oliveira is going to be no easy task, however, this seems to be just the right time for Dustin to achieve his lifelong dream.

What do you think? Will Dustin Poirier become the lightweight champion of the world? Let us know in the comments.  

ADVERTISEMENT

Share this with a friend:

Link Copied!

Written by

author-image

David Andrew

147 Articles

David Andrew is a UFC author at EssentiallySports with a background in English Literature from St. Stephens College. Prior to his current role, David, who combines his passion for writing and combat sports, contributed to the MMA divisions at Sportskeeda and The Sportsrush. As a professional MMA writer, he enjoys writing prediction and fight breakdown copies. An ardent combat sports fan, David has been hooked on MMA ever since watching his first fight in 2011, a showdown between Donald Cerrone and Nate Diaz at UFC 141, and hasn't looked back since. A massive Khabib Nurmagomedov fan, David wishes to interview 'The Eagle' in the future. Aside from his professional pursuits, David is an avid musician who spends his time singing, writing songs and playing the guitar and the piano.

Know more