Things never came easy for Dustin Poirier, both in his personal life and his career. That carried into UFC 302, where he came up short in what was likely his last chance to become an undisputed world champion in MMA.
And yet, through it all, Poirier maintained a positive attitude in times of victory and defeat.
Reflecting back on the person he is, showing resilience and perseverance even after a devastating loss, Poirier says it also comes down to being grateful for the life he’s been able to have and the dream he’s been able to live.
“After the [Justin] Gaethje fight was a big test for me in my personal growth,” Poirier told Megan Olivi in an interview for ESPN MMA after UFC 302. “Practicing mindfulness and practicing gratitude, because…without gratitude, nothing’s ever enough. My cup’s full, my family’s good, I have my health, they have theirs, I’m chasing dreams.
“I’m living the life that I could have only imagined as a kid just by chasing my dreams. I came up short tonight, and it hurts bad because, like I said, I know I’m not going to get another chance. I’m probably not going to get another chance to be the undisputed world champion. And that meant a lot to me.”
Dustin Poirier Regrets Not ‘Taking More Chances’ During Striking Exchanges With Makhachev
Heading into UFC 302 as an underdog, Poirier already seemed to be in trouble in the first round, getting taken down by defending champion Islam Makhachev and nearly submitted on more than one occasion.
But, “The Diamond” told Olivi that every time he got off the stool, he felt that he had the chance to find a way to win. And that was seen in the second round, when Poirier’s takedown defenses were on point and he forced a round of standing and trading.
Makhachev got the fight back down to the ground in the third, but in the fourth, Poirier landed noteworthy body shots that got the champion’s attention. Unfortunately for the challenger, Makhachev ultimately finished things off in the fifth frame with a D’arce choke.
“It was a world title fight with the best guy in the world; it was everything I thought it was going to be,” Poirier said. “I feel like I could have [done] more. I said that in the Khabib [Nurmagomedov] fight as well. I could have picked up the volume, took more chances on the feet. He was just similar to Khabib moving weird. His cadence was weird. His head movement was weird. When he would commit to the pocket, he would exit weird. My shots just weren’t there to land.
“I don’t know if it was the third or fourth round, he pulled me off of the fence before I switched him, and I felt my knee and my shin slide over each other. And then it started feeling like burning; I’ll have to get that checked out but it didn’t bother me getting off the stool or anything like that for the next round…that’s fighting. You’re going to get busted up.”
It’s unknown if Poirier will ever return to the Octagon again, and making a decision in a time like he was in isn’t always the best timing. But at the end of the day, the gratitude the Louisianan has practiced keeps his spirits high.
“Life is good,” Poirier said. “I have more to be grateful for than to complain about for sure.”
