“I could’ve knocked him out. But he always told me to go one-two, one-two-three, then take him down. He chose the safer option because Dustin’s weakness is wrestling. But in the last fight, Dustin defended well, so I used my striking more,” confirmed UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev earlier this year. In his third title defense against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 last year, Makhachev’s mentor and close friend, Khabib Nurmagomedov, advised him to take the “easy way” to victory by exploiting ‘The Diamond’s wrestling weakness in the early rounds.
However, Makhachev ignored his mentor’s advice and chose to stand and trade strikes with Poirier, a decision that, in hindsight, could have been one of the biggest mistakes of his career. The Lafayette native, a seasoned MMA fighter, had his strategy, which led the 155lbs champ into a full five-round battle. The fight became a striking war, with ‘The Diamond’ landing a significant cut on Makhachev’s forehead. Despite the damage, the Dagestani prospect managed to secure the victory in the final round with a D’Arce choke, underscoring Poirier’s resilience and experience.
On his YouTube channel, Javier & Mo Show, Javier Mendez, Islam Makhachev’s coach, extensively discussed the UFC 302 fight. Mendez expressed his surprise when Poirier managed to push Makhachev into trading punches with him. “I was, uh, very shocked. The first round, I was not, because that’s what I thought was going to happen,” said the AKA head coach. “But then the second round, when Dustin, you know, went up to another level in his effort, and Islam followed suit and just decided to trade with him, which was not what we wanted ideally—but it’s just something that Dustin created in the moment. I thought it was amazing what he did. I respected him even more.”
Jun 1, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Islam Makhachev (red gloves) fights Dustin Poirier (blue gloves) during UFC 302 at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Meanwhile, 36-year-old Poirier has been in the spotlight for his upcoming retirement, with his MMA career drawing to a close. The Lafayette native is just months away from his “last dance,” a highly anticipated trilogy fight against former 145lbs champion and BMF champion Max Holloway. ‘The Diamond’ holds a 2-0 advantage over Holloway in their previous matchups, and now, with the trilogy fight in the works, he has set his focus on Holloway.
Many have wondered why Poirier chose to conclude his career with Holloway rather than a third bout with Justin Gaethje. What led the Louisiana native to favor Holloway? Poirier explained, “There’s not a better guy I could think of to fight in my retirement fight. I was his first fight in the UFC back in 2012, and now he’s going to be my last fight in the UFC. It’s an honor.” However, the UFC’s decision did not align with Poirier’s original wish list.
What was Dustin Poirier’s wish list for his UFC retirement?
Dustin Poirier initially expected to face his rival, Justin Gaethje, in what would be a trilogy fight, as the two are tied 1-1. Gaethje’s name surfaced again after his impressive victory over Rafael Fiziev in a thrilling three-round battle at UFC 313 last month. Following that, many speculated Gaethje might be ‘The Diamond’s final opponent. However, ‘The Highlight’ dismissed these rumors, stating their families didn’t deserve the violence that transpired during their previous encounters inside the Octagon.
Despite this, Poirier remained hopeful that the trilogy with Gaethje would happen. In an interview with MMA Junkie, Poirier explained, “I was asking for Gaethje. I was asking Hunter (Campbell) and the UFC for Gaethje because we’re 1-1, and I want to close out that trilogy. For some reason, they really wanted this fight, so I said, ‘OK, that’s cool because I respect the guy for my last fight.’ I don’t know what their thought process was for putting this together with me and Max, but I have a lot of respect for him.”
However, Gaethje wasn’t the only fighter Poirier had in mind. Former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria was also on his radar, especially after Topuria vacated the belt in February to pursue a second title. Yet, UFC matchmakers had other ideas. What’s your take on Poirier vs. Holloway? Is this the fight fans wanted, or would a Gaethje trilogy have been the better choice? Share your thoughts below.
The post Team Khabib Head Coach Admits Dustin Poirier Left Him ‘Very Shocked’ After Forcing Islam Makhachev to Break Character in UFC 302 Fight appeared first on EssentiallySports.
