Dustin Poirier fight record as “The Diamond” looks to become world champion at UFC 302

Dustin Poirier has cemented himself as a modern day great in the UFC, but one thing remains missing from his mantlepiece – a world title.

“The Diamond” is never in a boring fight and his fan friendly style has seen him win nine Fight of the Night bonuses across his 39-fight MMA career – the second most in UFC history.

But the 35-year-old has twice tried and failed to win a UFC world title and he now has a third opportunity to finally certify his legacy when he challenges Islam Makhachev for the UFC lightweight world title at UFC 302 on Saturday, June 1.

Ahead of his third world title tilt, Dexerto Sport have taken a look back at some of the biggest fights in Poirier’s glittering UFC career.

Dustin Poirier’s record in full

Poirier has a record of 30 wins, eight defeats and one no contest across his 39-fight MMA career.

15 of those 30 wins have come via knockout, while a further eight of those wins have come via submission. Poirier is currently tied with Drew Dober for the most knockout victories in the history of the UFC’s lightweight division.

Conor McGregor defeat ends featherweight run, 2014

Poirier amassed an 8-1 record before moving to the UFC as part of the 2010 merger with the WEC. Once in the UFC, he quickly emerged as one of the best featherweight contenders in the world.

He won his first four fights in the UFC, including a win over Max Holloway, before a defeat to “Korean Zombie” Jung Chan-sung in 2012 which won him his first Fight of the Night award.

Poirier regrouped from that defeat to win four of his next five fights to set up a mega fight in 2014 with the up and coming, Conor McGregor.

Poirier was ranked fifth in the featherweight division, while McGregor, who had arrived in the UFC with lots of hype around him after becoming a two-weight Cage Warriors champion, was ranked ninth.

The Irishman had won his first three fights in the UFC but Poirier was seen as a huge test of his credentials.

McGregor backed up the hype and won via first round TKO. It was the first time Poirier had been stopped with strikes to the head and he decided to move up in weight in what turned out to be a huge turning point in his career.

“I always saw it as a plus but the Conor McGregor fight was the turning point,” Poirier said. “I remember I was backstage getting ready to walk out and I saw him and he threw this smile and pointed at me. I don’t know why but it really got to me, man. It really messed with my head.”

Justin Gaethje and Eddie Alvarez wins set up interim title shot, 2018

Poirier moved to lightweight after his loss McGregor and vowed to win a world title in his new weight class.

He lost just one of his first eight fights at lightweight which set him up with a crossroads fight with Justin Gaethje. The fight ended up being Fight of the Year in 2018 for a number of MMA publications, as Poirier won via TKO in the fourth round.

Later that year, a rematch with former world lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez gave Poirier the opportunity to really cement himself at the top echelons of the lightweight division.

The first fight between the pair had been ruled a no-contest after Alvarez had caught Poirier with two illegal knees while he was against the fence.

Poirier got his revenge, though, winning via TKO in the second round.

Max Holloway rematch win sets up world title shot, 2019

Poirier’s win over Alvarez was set to be followed by a co-headline slot against Nate Diaz. An injury to Poirier put paid to that but it led to an interim title shot instead.

In the aftermath of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s win over Conor McGregor, both fighters received an indefinite ban for a post-fight scuffle until an investigation had been concluded.

It meant Nurmagomedov could not defend his interim lightweight world title in the meantime, so the UFC ordered an interim title fight between Poirier and the UFC featherweight world champion Max Holloway.

Poirier had beaten Holloway back in 2012 while he was a featherweight, but Holloway headed into the bout as a world champion, with a 13-fight win streak behind him.

Nonetheless, Poirier won the fight via unanimous decision and earned himself a first shot at a world title.

Defeat to Khabib Nurmagomedov, 2019

Nurmagomedov returned to the UFC later in 2019 and was immediately ordered to defend his title against Poirier.

Poirier arguably came closer than any fighter to beating Nurmagomedov when he managed to get the Russian fighter into a Guillotine choke hold in the second round.

However, Nurmagomedov managed to break free and ended the fight in the third round with a rear-naked choke submission.

Revenge twice over against Conor McGregor, 2021

Poirier bounced back from defeat in his first world title fight, with a win over Dan Hooker which set up a lucrative rematch with former UFC featherweight and lightweight world champion, Conor McGregor.

Having lost to the Irishman seven years earlier at featherweight, it was Poirier who emerged victorious at lightweight, winning via TKO in the second round.

The pair agreed to an instant rematch and while there had been much respect in the build-up to their second fight, the pre-fight trash talk for their third fight was cranked up a notch.

But the fight didn’t live up to the build-up, with Poirier winning via a doctor stoppage after McGregor fractured his tibia in the first round.

Second world title heartbreak, 2021

Poirier’s two wins over McGregor set up a second tilt at the lightweight world title. After Nurmagomedov had retired undefeated in 2020, Charles Oliveira had won the vacant title by knocking out Michael Chandler.

The Brazilian’s first defense came against Poirier and it would prove to be heartbreak again for the American fighter, as Oliveira submitted him in the third round.

Michael Chandler victory, 2022

After both men had lost to Oliveira, a crossroads bout between Poirier and Chandler was made as both men looked to bounce back after world title defeats.

And it was Poirier who emerged victorious, submitting Chandler in the third round to set up a shot at the symbolic “BMF” (Baddest Motherf****r) belt.

Unsuccessful tilt at BMF belt, 2023

And that meant a rematch with Justin Gaethje, who also tried and failed to beat Nurmagomedov and Oliveira for his lightweight world title.

But while Poirier won the first fight emphatically, it was Gaethje who emerged with the victory this time around, stopping Poirier with a head kick in the second round.

UFC 299 win sets up third world title shot, 2024

Poirier returned to action in March 2024, in a do or die fight against French contender Benoit Saint Denis. Defeat probably would have meant the end of Poirier’s career, but he rolled back the years to knock out Saint Denis in the second round.

His performance earned many plaudits, including former US President Donald Trump who was sat on the front row, and earned Poirier a third shot at the world title at UFC 302.

He now faces a third different champion in Islam Makhachev, who dethroned Oliveira of his title and has since beaten former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski on two separate occasions.

Poirier has hinted that he will retire if he fails to win the world title this time around but he is confident he will finally fulfil his dream of becoming a UFC world champion.