Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier has had a legendary UFC career which he can make even more iconic if he wins the UFC Lightweight championship against Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 in New Jersey. This is a tall task however, “The Diamond” has provided us, fight fans, with some of the most memorable and exciting fights and moments in UFC history. Therefore, in advance of what could be the last fight of a dying breed of a competitor, I would like to highlight the greatness of “El Diamantè” Dustin Poirier.

Dustin Poirier entered the UFC in 2011, over 13 years ago as a 22 year old young man and has fought the very best since. Dustin started off his career on a roll as he was on a four fight win streak at featherweight which included a future Hall of Famer in the former UFC featherweight champion and the current BMF champion Max Holloway who Dustin made more history with later his in career which I will get to. Dustin then had his first setback within the company as he lost to The Korean Zombie in Dustin’s first main event in a absolutely sensational clash in May of 2012. This loss did not discourage Dustin as he continued his path, which continued to have a few setbacks but none were bigger than the loss at UFC 178 against Conor McGregor. McGregor was on the rise in his career at featherweight and was using all the antics he could to get inside the head of Poirier and it worked. Poirier lost by first round knockout and admitted over the years that McGregor’s trash talk and antics caused a lapse in focus and had him angry which many including myself saw as the reason as to why he lost the fight. Many would say this would be a severe low point in one’s career but not “The Diamond,” Dustin used this and motivated himself to get into a new stage of his career and moved up to Lightweight where the real journey began.

Just like his start in the UFC, Poirier got on a roll and had a 4 fight win streak within the lightweight division. 3 of those were in the first round and included the likes of Diego Ferreria, Bobby Green and Yancy Mederios however just like at featherweight, his first main event as a lightweight ended terribly. Dustin fought Michael Johnson in September of 2016 and unfortunately for Poirier got clipped at the wrong time which caused him to lose in the first round. Many would feel disheartened, many would quit but this was not cloth from which Dustin Poirier was built, and he pushed through and carried on continuing his journey which saw him regain his confidence and go on a 4 fight win streak against the likes of former champion Anthony Pettis, former champion Eddie Alvarez and the human highlight Justin Gaethje. The Alvarez and Gaethje contests are some of the greatest forms of combat entertainment anyone could ask for. Poirier rose to the occasion and fought who ever and whenever which took Poirier to a fight at UFC 236 for the interim championship of the world against a former opponent in Max “Blessed” Holloway.

Max Holloway had already rose the ranks of the UFC at this point and became a UFC Featherweight champion defeating the legendary Jose Aldo Jr however, Holloway was out to creat history by moving up to try and get one of the few losses on his record back against Dustin Poirier. In a 5 round classic, a fight of the year contender, Dustin Poirier did it and became the interim lightweight champion which gave him the opportunity to fight for his dreams and fight for the undisputed UFC championship against Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Khabib is the greatest lightweight of all time and it was way too much, unfortunately for Dustin, as Khabib choked Dustin out to retain his undisputed championship. Heartbreaking for El Diamantè but it did not stop him. Dustin was then given the opportunity after his victory against Dan Hooker which was another FOTY contender, to write a wrong and face the biggest star in the sport who was “notorious”

Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier 2 was intially a very respectable build up to a McGregor fight with exchanging their products with each other and showing the amount of respect both have for each other. The fight came about to many people’s surprise with Dustin Poirier shocking the world and KNOCKING out Conor McGregor which was caused via a right hook which was set up by a barrage of calf kicks Dustin landed throughout the fight. Conor called for an immediate rematch and was given the chance to fight Poirier again at UFC 264. The build up to this fight was a polarisng opposite to the second fight, with Conor maliciously going after Poirier’s family and attacking his character to which Poirier stated Conor was over compensating for his performance in the fight before. Dustin Poirier silenced McGregor and won the trilogy via a leg break TKO which sent McGregor on the shelves up until June 29th when he faces Michael Chandler. Poirier beat the biggest star in the company twice and had made himself into a cult legend of the sport.

Of course, there has been more ups and downs in the career of Poirier but this Saturday, he is given the opportunity to turn all them downs into an up by defeating Islam Makhachev at UFC 302. However, whatever the result is, Dustin Poirier has shown why he is certifed Hall of Famer, a pioneer of the sport and the greatest fighter to never win a title which could change this weekend.

The Diamond always paid the cost to be the boss. If it is his last, we have all been lucky to witness the career of Dustin Poirier.