Islam Makhachev has competed in several memorable battles in 7 championship fights across the lightweight and welterweight divisions, winning every one of them. Yet ‘The Dagestani’ never quite stopped to reflect on which bout of his illustrious career entertained him the most. Now, the reigning 170-pound champion has lifted the veil on his personal favorite, and it’s a fight you might not expect.

In a recent interview with Red Corner MMA, the host asked Makhachev whether winning his second title against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 last year was the best fight of his career. In response, the Russian legend handed that honor to his bout against Dustin Poirier.

“The biggest emotions? Well, winning the fight was very emotional,” Makhachev said. “But I keep watching the Poirier fight. As I said, we fought as if it was a street fight. Plus, I managed to finish him. I really enjoyed the fight.”  

Islam Makhachev faced Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 on June 1, 2024, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. It was a thrilling showdown with some unexpected twists and turns, making it easy to understand why the Dagestani considers it his favorite fight. 

After coming up short in two previous 155 lbs title fights against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier had one last chance to claim the belt against Makhachev. ‘The Diamond’ also entered the bout as a considerable underdog, with oddsmakers backing Makhachev to secure yet another dominant victory. But what unfolded in New Jersey two years ago was nothing short of unexpected. 

Poirier gave Makhachev a run for his money. The Louisiana native stuffed 11 of Makhachev’s 16 takedown attempts, allowing the Dagestani to complete only 5. Poirier also managed to land an elbow on Makhachev’s forehead, instantly cutting him wide open.

Although Makhachev had the statistical edge, this was the first time the UFC world had witnessed him severely bloodied. For a moment, it seemed Poirier could find a fight-ending knockout, pulling off a massive upset. However, the Dagestani ultimately found a way to victory by locking in a D’Arce choke in the fifth and final round.

Indeed, Makhachev had been tested by Alexander Volkanovski in their first fight at UFC 284 and, more recently, Ian Garry at UFC 330. However, those bouts were more technical showdowns than an all-out war. This is why Makhachev distinguished the Poirier fight as a “street fight,” given the sheer violence and blood that was involved in their clash.

This was not the first time Makhachev admitted to rewatching his clash with Dustin Poirier.

Before defending his lightweight belt against Renato Moicano at UFC 311 in January 2025, the Dagestani revealed on a podcast with Demetrious Johnson that he had “watched” the Poirier fight multiple times. He also praised ‘The Diamond’ for doing excellent “homework” to defend his takedowns.

Fans expected that Islam Makhachev would run into similar problems at his planned title defense against Carlos Prates at UFC 336. However, the Dagestani champ’s abrupt pullout poured cold water on those expectations. 

Islam Makhachev withdrew from his verbally agreed fight vs. Carlos Prates  

Makhachev was about to headline the UFC’s first event of 2027 on January 30 in Canada at UFC 336. But in late October, reports started flying that the reigning welterweight champion had pulled out of his planned title defense against Carlos Prates.

The 34-year-old’s withdrawal forced the promotion to book Prates vs. Michael Morales for the interim belt in the UFC 336 co-main event, with the main event slot going to Joshua Van defending his belt against Manel Kape.

For a while, the mystery surrounding Makhachev’s pullout gripped the UFC world. However, after the promotion announced that the 170 lbs interim title would be on the line in Canada next year, the Dagestani finally revealed his side of the story.

“Yes, Prates and Morales will fight, determine who is the true worthy contender, and I will fight the winner,” Makhachev told Pound 4 Padel.

Islam Makhachev, seemingly not wanting to fight someone who isn’t a clear contender, drew a ton of backlash against him.

Carlos Prates in particular was very upset about losing his shot at the undisputed title and said Makhachev “chickened out.” Still, the bout not being officially announced muddied the situation, which Dana White cleared up during a recent media scrum.

“Yeah, it was verbally agreed to,” the UFC CEO said when reporters asked whether Makhachev agreed to the fight.

White’s words confirm that Makhachev actually pulled out of the event, rather than the bout simply falling through. 

That said, once we find out the winner of the UFC 336 interim bout, Islam Makhachev would eventually return, and hopefully we can witness another violent showdown like the one he had with Dustin Poirier.