Dustin Poirier will receive the reception of a hero in his native Louisiana at the UFC 318 when he faces Max Holloway for the third time in their careers. It is a pear-won respect for his peers and the promotion that they would organize a PPV event in New Orleans for the first time in 25 years as a good sending to one of the good guys in the history of sport.
The biggest stars of mixed martial arts have the talent to drop us. Conor McGregor and Jon Jones spend more time involved in controversies and playing retired than fighting. Holloway against Poirier 3 pairs two of the last sports vouchers as well as some of the last stars of the American PPV.
“Some of these guys have characters or masks they wear,” Poirier told CBS Sports. “Whether it’s the fight week or I’m in the grocery store, it’s the same thing. I try to follow my moral compass and do what I think is just and be a good person. If people appreciate it, I appreciate them to recognize it.”
Poirier commands almost universal respect – with the exception of McGregor and, to a certain extent, Michael Chandler, but they have many detractors. Most of the people who fought or formed alongside Poirier praise him, illuminating the contrast between his violent fights and his anchored attitude.
Dustin Poirier withdrawn: Islam Makhachev, Justin Gaethje and more remember the heritage of the “diamond”
Shakiel Mahjouri
“It was an honor sharing the carpet with him,” said the former UFC straw weight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, the former Poirier training partner at the American Top Team. “I love you, Dustin. We all do it. We are a big family. He is such a great guy. He helps so many people. He directs his foundation. He is a model.”
The warm reception grab certainly Poirier off guard. He did not save the controversy with a carefully organized public relations plan. He does not direct the Good combat foundation – A non -profit organization helping the undeserved communities in Louisiana – with his wife, pretty pear tree, to earn points. Poirier does it because, similar to his excellence by violence, he is attracted.
“You are an aberrant value yourself because everyone is so false. It’s crazy for me to think,” said Poirier. “People say:” Wow, Dustin and Max are real guys! Good Guys! “I’m sure he’s making a stupid bunch of shit.
This tension between humility and authenticity makes special pear tree in a sport powered by external puffs. The blood he shed for our entertainment speaks more than any trash speech.
Poirier, the former interim champion in light weights, is one of the rare non-underestimated UFC champions deserving an enthronement to the renowned temple. His curriculum vitae is amazing, even without the belt that escaped him. Poirier holds UFC records for most combat bonuses and light knockouts, and classifies the first four in any division for victories, finishes and bonuses.
The most revealing, perhaps, is a record that he shares with the fighters of Mount Rushmore Jones, Georges St-Pierre and Amanda Nunes: the most finishes (6) against the current, old or future champions of the UFC.
Poirier could have been an undisputed champion in another era. It turns out that he fought with a legendary class that we will never see again: Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, Charles Oliveira, McGregor, Justin Gaethje and Tony Ferguson, to name it.
Poirier was not only a competitor. It was part of the golden age which made the size more difficult to define, even less to achieve. Thanks to Heartbreak and three shots from the failed UFC title, Poirier has still built a more lasting heritage than many champions of one and done.
“He showed MMA fans so many major fights,” said Sports. “He is one of the big stars of our sport. He is a legend and a very good man.”
Poirier will not be remembered as the best of all time, but it is not the reputation he is looking for. Poirier hopes that fans remember the authenticity with which he fought. Someone who has never refused a challenge or compromised their combat philosophy. It’s perfect because it was not designed. He is personified.
“A child looking for a dream of discovering how good he can be for a fighter to change his life through this sport, using the fights as a vehicle to reach the stars. I created a big life for my family. Along the way, I created an inheritance as a by-product.
“I was not trying to leave a heritage. I was trying to make things happen. It is the truth. I want people to remember me as a guy who came to fight, win or lose, each time. You knew that it would be a good ferrer when Dustin was on a fighting card.”
Discover the full interview with Dustin Poirier below.
Poirier solidified this reputation long before putting the gloves on Saturday. Ironically, Chandler, one of the rare Poirier’s opponents in sport, explained better to what point Poirier had become everything he was looking for.
“He is a guy who grew up in the UFC. He won his scratches. He paid everything he accomplished,” said Chandler to CBS Sports. “The victories he has suffered, the losses he has taken, and the way he came back from these losses that are fighting for many titles … when the cage door is closed, you should buy payment on the menu when Dustin Poirier is on the card.”
Few nicknames adapt as perfectly as “the diamond”. The raw material refined by pressure, imperfect but unbreakable. Poirier did not check each box for a temple of UFC renown, but it is more qualified than most. This is suitable for someone who tackles the fighting game with a blue collar mentality from the first day.
“As a 17 -year -old, I felt that I could be one of the best fighters in the world,” said Poirier. “I got out and I did it.”
Who wins the UFC 318: Holloway against Poirier 3, and how does the fight end exactly? Visit Sportsline now to obtain detailed choices and analyzes of the incomparable expert Which increased more than $ 21,000 during its UFC choices since May 19, 2018 and discover it.