Has Dustin Poirier ever won a belt? A look at ‘The Diamond’s’ run in championship fights

Over the course of his lengthy and illustrious career, Dustin Poirier has received widespread recognition for his achievements in the world of MMA. ‘The Diamond’ officially entered the professional mixed martial arts scene in May 2009 and made his UFC debut in January 2011.

As a UFC fighter, the 35-year-old has participated in both the featherweight (145-pound) and lightweight (155-pound) weight classes. Additionally, he has also competed in two catchweight fights, one at 151.5 pounds and another at 159 pounds.

Despite facing some of the top MMA fighters including Eddie Alvarez, Justin Gaethje, Conor McGregor, Max Holloway, Anthony Pettis, Michael Chandler, and others, Poirier has consistently emerged victorious. He has also participated in numerous world championship fights, and today, we will take a closer look at his performance in these high-stakes matchups throughout his career.

Dustin Poirier’s Championship Fight History: The Rise of ‘The Diamond’

Despite the challenges and obstacles he has faced, Dustin Poirier has proven to be a cunning and determined MMA fighter. Beginning in the WEC and eventually establishing himself in the UFC, Poirier has fought tirelessly to achieve world title success. Throughout his career, he has competed in four world championship bouts, including a highly anticipated rematch against Max Holloway at UFC 236 in April 2019.

During that period, Holloway held the UFC featherweight title and decided to move up in weight to pursue a second championship. As the undisputed UFC lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov was on a break, so the UFC arranged for ‘Blessed’ to face Poirier for the interim UFC lightweight title at UFC 236.

The Poirier-Holloway rematch proved to be an unforgettable battle, with ‘The Diamond’ dominating his Hawaiian opponent throughout five intense rounds. Ultimately, Poirier was declared the winner by unanimous decision and became the interim UFC featherweight champion.

The link to the video is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRpFGVPGSJc.

Despite earning the interim belt, Dustin Poirier’s hopes of facing Khabib Nurmagomedov in a title unification matchup and claiming his first undisputed MMA world title were dashed when ‘The Eagle’ defeated him via third-round submission at UFC 242 in Sept. 2019.

Despite having fought against Holloway and Nurmagomedov in the past, Poirier managed to secure three consecutive victories. He defeated Dan Hooker and Conor McGregor twice between June 2020 and July 2021, earning him a second chance at becoming the undisputed UFC lightweight champion as a beloved fighter.

In December 2021, Poirier competed against then-UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira at the UFC 269 event. Despite appearing to injure ‘Do Bronx’ with his striking, ‘The Diamond’ ultimately succumbed to the BJJ expert’s impressive grappling skills and was defeated via third-round submission.

Despite his second unsuccessful attempt at capturing the undisputed title, Poirier rebounded with a third-round submission win over Michael Chandler in its aftermath.

The back-and-forth battle against Chandler resulted in a victory for Dustin Poirier and earned him another title shot. However, this time it was not for the UFC lightweight belt, but for the prestigious BMF championship. Poirier’s opponent for the rematch at UFC 291 in July 2023 was Justin Gaethje, whom he had previously defeated by fourth-round TKO in April 2018.

In their second meeting, the vacant BMF title was up for grabs since the first BMF titleholder, Jorge Masvidal, had retired. In July 2023, Gaethje was able to avenge his previous loss to Poirier by defeating him via second-round KO. This victory earned Gaethje the title of BMF champion, while Poirier’s record in world title fights dropped to 1-3.

Dustin Poirier’s Journey to Becoming a UFC Champion

Following his loss in the BMF title fight, Dustin Poirier made a triumphant return to the octagon on March 9, 2024 at UFC 299, defeating Benoit Saint Denis with a second-round knockout. This impressive victory caught the eye of current UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, who was in attendance for the thrilling matchup and Poirier’s most recent appearance in the octagon.

Despite many fans hoping for a lightweight title defense between Makhachev and Gaethje, it has been announced that BMF champion Justin Gaethje will be defending his title against former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway at UFC 300 on April 13, 2024. This booking has resulted in the potential matchup between Makhachev and Gaethje being taken off the table for the time being.

Despite being on hiatus for Ramadan obligations, Makhachev has expressed interest in defending his lightweight championship against Dustin Poirier next. In an interview with MMA Junkie, the current lightweight champion stated that he sees Poirier as the best option for him upon his return in June, as there are no other suitable opponents available.

During a later interview with Mackenzie Salmon of MMA Junkie, Poirier was asked about his lack of an undisputed MMA world title. He acknowledged this and emphasized that it is the only achievement remaining for him in his MMA career as a longstanding member of ATT (American Top Team).

Poirier emphasized his experience in creating multiple successful businesses, headlining fight cards, and competing in the UFC’s octagon over 30 times. He once again expressed his determination to win the undisputed UFC championship title, stating:

“My family is set. Like, I’ve done everything I’ve set out to do, but capture the title. And that’s the only thing left for me to do, and that’s what I want.”

Take a look at the remarks made by Dustin Poirier at the 3:14 mark below:

The link to the video is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkXpQ3WUubI.