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Dustin Poirier’s up and down UFC career
This is a guest post by Nick the Ear of OOSS Media
Dustin Poirier is the quintessential fighter’s journeyman. Taking on and defeating some of the most successful fighters in UFC history. But also taking his lumps, too.
In fact, he’s had more ups and downs in his career than my crypto portfolio. I put a lot into Luna. But what makes him the fighter he is? And why hasn’t he ever been able to win a championship belt? Is it cause he isn’t a good enough fighter? Or is luck not on his side?
A fondness for fighting
Dustin Poirier was born on January 19, 1989, in Lafayette, Louisiana. And let’s just say he had a fondness for fighting.
He ended up getting kicked out of high school at age 15 because he was getting into too many fights. So he started working construction and partying. Like Channing Tatum in Magic Mike.
But it wasn’t until he met Tim Credeur at his local gym that his life changed.
And not to be a hater Tim, but he still isn’t world champion and that is what we are here to talk about today.
Dustin Poirier began his professional MMA career in 2009 after coming out of the fighting cauldron that was WEC, which was eventually acquired by the UFC.
And that present was Josh Grispi, coming off a 10 fight win streak. His debut went the distance with Poirier winning by decision.
A pretty good indication of the types of fights we would all come to expect from Poirier. Dogged and brutal.
9 years later…
After that, he rose through the ranks of the UFC. And in no time at all, just a short 9 years and 20 fights later, where he defeated the likes of striker extraordinaire Anthony Pettis, fan favorite Justin Gaethje, former lightweight Champ Eddie Alvarez, and twitch streamer Max Holloway.
He just completed a streak laying down some of the greatest fighters in the game. It was finally his time.
He got the call.
And so now we have come to our main event. Dustin’s shot at finally completing Tim Credeur’s prophecy.
First shot at the title
There’s no shame in losing to the best fighter of all time. Khabib is the most dominant and decorated lightweight champion ever in the game, and when it came to his bout with Poirier it was no different. Look. Khabib mopped the floor with everyone, every single fighter he ever came up against at a professional level. And Dustin was arguably the closest fighter to taking Khabib down.
So he lost his first shot at the belt. But he wasn’t done there, he was back to climbing up the ranks. Where he fought and beat a couple of UFC schmucks who you’ve probably never heard of…
Second shot at the belt
And after that super easy run of fights, he got his second chance at the belt and all he had to do was overcome….
Pop super star, TikTok dance icon… the one, the only Charles “Why did he dye his hair Blonde?” Oliviera!
It was a back and forth fight. I personally thought Dustin won the first round. In fact, he almost KO’d Oliviera. But then it happened, the elephant in the room, the defining moment of this fight… the infamous glove.
Would Dustin have won the round if this glove grab didn’t happen? Would he have won the fight? Would Neil Armstrong have actually landed on the moon instead of faking in a studio with Stanley Kubrik?
We can’t say, but what we do know is that it led to Charles Oliviera having four minutes of top control and punching Dustin in the face a bunch of times. So… not good. Then when the guy who has the most submission in UFC history takes your back 30 seconds into the following round… this happens.
The BMF belt
And those are the two Championship fights Dustin lost making him the best fighter to never win a belt.
Although he did win this belt… although we aren’t really gonna count that. But it is a good indicator that our guy is ready to grab the real gold.
I mean, when it comes down to it, you gotta ask the question: Is Poirier bad at defending the Rear Naked Choke? Is it too much pressure for him to handle? Or does this just prove how difficult it is to win at the highest level?
Wait, Dave Menne? Who the fuck is that? Can we fact check this? I’ve never even heard of this guy. He’s won a belt? In the UFC? When?
Look, if I’m being honest, I think these two fights aren’t truly representative of Dustin as a fighter. He’s the darkhorse of the division. He could actually go the distance, he just needs the right match ups at the right time. It’s a tough road back to the title, but if anyone has the skillset to do it. It’s Dustin.
If there is one word to describe him it would be… The Diamond. But the second word would be relentless. And that’s what you need in this sport. Styles make fights, and Poirier can do it all. He can brawl with the brawlers, he can roll with the grapplers, and he has the conditioning to go all the way. These losses are just stops along the way to Championship town, USA, population…. The Diamond.
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