Latest news with #Poirier
Forbes
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
UFC Fans React To Retired Legend Being Officially Removed From Roster
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JULY 19: Detail view of the gloves of Dustin Poirier on the canvas after ... More the BMF championship bout during the UFC 318 event at Smoothie King Center on July 19, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC) Dustin Poirier officially retired after his unanimous decision loss to Max Holloway on Saturday, July 19, at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The entire event was built around Poirier's retirement fight, and the energy in the building was felt throughout the card. We all watched Poirier's heartfelt post-fight interview and the things he's said on the Ariel Helwani show and other media, but the finality of Poirier no longer fighting in MMA hit some UFC fans when UFC Roster News posted their update on X. This was a GIF-heavy string of reactions. There are more than 125 comments on the post, and the vast majority of them feature someone weeping. One fan posted a GIF from Berserk with the caption, 'my favorite fighter of ALL TIME GOAT.' Another one used a GIF from Dragon Ball to express their feelings about the situation. The GIF is of Vegeta being upset when he finds he is unable to go Super Saiyan, and he's standing dejected in the rain. Another said, 'won't be the same without him.' Another posted a GIF with a series of famous people crying, with Los Angeles Lakers icon LeBron James featured prominently. Poirier walks away from MMA competition with a 30-10 mark with one no contest. While Poirier never won an undisputed title in the UFC, he was the interim champion. His résumé is about as Hall-of-Fame worthy as anyone who never held undisputed gold. If you question Poirier's fitness for the Hall, I've got two words for you: 'Donald Cerrone.' WWE fans thought that was going somewhere else. How can a fighter have these wins and not be in the UFC Hall of Fame?Dustin Poirier – 5 Biggest Wins ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 13: (L-R) UFC President Dana White places the interim lightweight championship ... More belt on Dustin Poirier after defeating Max Holloway in their interim lightweight championship bout during the UFC 236 event at State Farm Arena on April 13, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Poirier defeated Holloway by unanimous decision in a five-round war to win the Interim Lightweight Championship. It was a rematch nearly seven years in the making and one of the best fights of 2019, earning Fight of the Night honors. ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 23: (R-L) Dustin Poirier points at Conor McGregor of ... More Ireland in a lightweight fight during the UFC 257 event inside Etihad Arena on UFC Fight Island on January 23, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Poirier shocked the world by becoming the first man to knock out McGregor in MMA, finishing him in the second round with a barrage of punches after crippling leg kicks set the VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 10: (L-R) Dustin Poirier punches Conor McGregor of Ireland during the UFC ... More 264 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) In their trilogy bout, Poirier earned a TKO win when McGregor suffered a broken leg at the end of Round 1. Though the ending was anticlimactic, Poirier was dominating the fight before the injury and moved to 2-1 in the rivalry. There was no doubt Poirier was going to YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 12: (L-R) Dustin Poirier works for a submission against Michael ... More Chandler during the UFC 281 event at Madison Square Garden on November 12, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC) After surviving early chaos and heavy shots, Poirier submitted Chandler via rear-naked choke in Round 3. The win solidified his standing as a top contender and showcased his grit and AZ - APRIL 14: (L-R) Dustin Poirier defeats Justin Gaethje in their lightweight fight ... More during the UFC Fight Night event at the Gila Rivera Arena on April 14, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) In one of the wildest fights in UFC history, Poirier stopped Gaethje via TKO in Round 4 after a back-and-forth brawl filled with leg kicks, power punches, and nonstop pressure from both men. It was a turning point that launched Poirier's run to the interim belt. Poirier established himself as a fighter's fighter and that's what fans loved most about him. I can't wait for his HOF induction. Shine bright Diamond.
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Crowd will be behind retiring Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway at UFC 318
UFC 318 will culminate with the trilogy fight between Max Holloway and the retiring Dustin Poirier for Holloway's 'BMF' title on Saturday in New Orleans. Holloway (26-8 MMA) and Poirier (30-9, 1 NC) previously fought in 2012 and 2019, with Poirier winning both fights. The most recent meeting saw Poirier win a unanimous decision for the UFC interim lightweight championship in one of the promotion's most talked-about fights. Shifting to the trilogy fight, it's Poirier's final UFC fight, and the Smoothie King Center will play host to the festivities. It is Poirier's first fight in his home state in a decade, which means a great deal to the 36-year-old. 'If you chase your dreams, anything is possible,' Poirier said. Poirier confirmed rapper and New Orleans icon Lil Wayne will be part of his entrance for the fight, revealing that with a win, he wants Wayne to be part of the belt presentation ceremony. Holloway, despite being from Hawaii, wants the same treatment. Holloway showed mutual respect toward his rival but said he is embracing the role of fighting in enemy territory. 'It's gonna be a fun one, man,' Holloway said. 'It's gonna be a fun one. It's his last dance ... Bring out more of the boos, please. That's what I like to hear.' Holloway has held the symbolic 'BMF' title since UFC 300, when he knocked out Justin Gaethje. Neither fighter offered an exact prediction for the fight, but did say that they hope to put on one of the best fights in recent memory, similar to their April 2019 encounter. Nevertheless, Holloway-Poirier 3 tops a 14-fight card with main card festivities getting underway on ESPN+ pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Main card (Start time 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+ PPV) --Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier, lightweight -- Holloway's 'BMF' title --Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov, middleweight --Kevin Holland vs. Daniel Rodriguez, welterweight --Dan Ige vs. Patricio Pitbull, featherweight --Michael Johnson vs. Daniel Zellhuber, lightweight Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Dustin Poirier's boxing coach pinpoints when Max Holloway fight was 'getting away from us'
NEW ORLEANS – Dyah Davis did his best to urge Dustin Poirier into more exchanges with Max Holloway at UFC 318, but ultimately it wasn't enough. Poirier (30-10 MMA, 22-9 UFC) came up short of his fairytale retirement end this past Saturday when he dropped a unanimous decision to Holloway (27-8 MMA, 23-8 UFC) in their BMF title trilogy bout in front of a raucous home state crowd in Louisiana. It was a largely thrilling affair, with Poirier getting hurt by strikes in the first and second rounds before nearly scoring a wild finish of his own late in Round 2. It was during that time where Davis, who served as a longtime boxing coach to Davis, started to see where the fight was really trending, and did his best to alter it. "I felt like I needed more volume," Davis told MMA Junkie. "We had to keep up with Max's pace. There were instances in the fight where I was asking him to be first, or, 'If you land a good shot to follow it up. You've got to test the water to see if the guy is hurt. You land a big shot, you've got to follow up and put him away.' In between rounds I was asking for more volume. "After Round 2, I kind of felt like the fight was getting away from us a little bit. I was trying to be instrumental in the corner to make sure he could go out there and change the direction of the fight. Even though he almost finished him in the second, going into Round 3 and Round 4, the writing was a little bit on the wall. In order to try to change the trajectory of the fight, I needed more output." Poirier, 36, couldn't deliver that output and lost by 48-47, 49-46 and 49-46 scorecards. Holloway outlanded him 198-to-109 in significant strikes, with each being credited with one knockdown. "I try to watch the fight from an unbiased eye," Davis said. "Max's volume and body work was on display. He was busier. He was getting off and he was mobile, so he was able to get off his shots and then move. It kind of felt like we were almost chasing him a little bit and not able to get off when he was in position to punch." Although everyone on Poirier's team would've like to see him win the retirement fight, the result was somewhat inconsequential when "The Diamond" put down the gloves and was celebrated for his career. Davis has been there for much of the journey, with Poirier's knockout of Conor McGregor at UFC 257 in January 2021 being a distinct moment. Their personal relationship will go on, but Davis admits the process leading up to his farewell bout and the subsequent aftermath has led to much emotional turbulence. "Leading up this fight it's been bittersweet," Davis said. "We know he's had a monumental career and it's coming to an end, but he deserves to see what's on the other side of it. He's been at this for a very long time. It's bittersweet, but I'm happy."
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Read Dustin Poirier's heartfelt 'letter to the game' in the wake of his retirement
The emotions of retirement fight week at UFC 318 are still running high for Dustin Poirier, who is "forever grateful" to mixed martial arts. Poirier called it a career this past Saturday after losing a hard-fought BMF title battle to Max Holloway in the UFC 318 main event. Making the occasion even more emotional than it would've been is the fact that Poirier, a native of Lafayette, La., fought his final fight in front of a home crowd at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. On Wednesday, Poirier took to Instagram to pen a heartfelt "letter to the game." Letter to the game, Thank you for allowing a kid to chase a dream. Thank you for the lessons. Thank you for the heartbreak. Thank you for a platform to raise others up. When I started I wanted to find out how good of a fighter I can be, and I found out. Fighting is life, Fighting is the truth. I'm forever grateful to have walked this path and the lessons I've learned will be with me until my heart stops. I'm not sure what's next but I'll do what you taught me, continue to walk confidently into the unknown. Sincerely El Diamante While Poirier, 36, has openly acknowledged that physically he's good enough to continue fighting, he acknowledged a revealing sign in the loss to Holloway that let him know his decision to retire was the right one. Poirier began his professional career in May 2009 and made his UFC debut on June 11, 2011. He appeared in 32 UFC fights, putting on some of the most memorable clashes while posting a 22-9 record (with one no contest). While he claimed the UFC interim lightweight title in 2019, Poirier went on to come up short in three attempts at winning the undisputed title – against Khabib Nurmagomedov (September 2019), Charles Oliveira (December 2021), and Islam Makhachev (June 2024).
USA Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Dustin Poirier didn't win the BMF belt, but he got something even better from his daughter
Dustin Poirier fell short as he tried to claim the BMF title from Max Holloway in his retirement fight at UFC 318, and if he was salty at all about the result, those feelings certainly went away once he returned home. On Monday's episode of "The Ariel Helwani Show," Poirier showed us what he received from his 8-year-old daughter, Parker, when he walked through the door, and it's sure to make your heart melt. 'She hates curse words and stuff like that, so she doesn't like the BMF belt. But she gave me this. She made me this for me," Poirier said. "I don't have the BMF, but I got the BDE. … Where the BMF belt was gonna go, I got this bad boy. "This is a one of one right here: Best Dad Ever belt.' Poirier, 36, retired after fighting professionally since 2009, including more than 14 years in the UFC. While he claimed the interim lightweight title in 2019, Poirier went on to come up short in three attempts at winning the undisputed title – against Khabib Nurmagomedov (September 2019), Charles Oliveira (December 2021), and Islam Makhachev (June 2024). But does any of that matter anymore? He's got a homemade belt from his little girl that he can proudly display. Nothing tops that!
