It’s a strange feeling when the guy who just lost his third and probably final shot at a UFC title ends up walking away at the end of the night looking like a hero. Strange, but not unpleasant.
The permanent record will show that on June 1, 2024, Dustin Poirier lost via fifth-round submission to 155-pound champion Islam Makhachev. It will also show that this was Poirier’s third loss in the last five fights, which doesn’t seem like a big deal. But there are many things that are lost when we are guided solely by facts and numbers. In the case of the UFC 302 main event, and perhaps even in the case of Poirier’s entire career, they miss out on the things that make people watch professional fights in the first place.
In a world based solely on pure skill, Poirier probably should have never heard the words “Round 5” against Makhachev. The champion was faster, stronger and much better on the mat. If you had come in midway through the first round and seen him glued to Poirier’s back two minutes in, having easily completed his first takedown, you probably would have assumed it was going to be a quick night. It is a classic miscalculation, not taking into account that dog, like the one Poirier has.
The way Poirier went from that dismal first round to a competitive and bloody final round wasn’t pure toughness, although it wasn’t No hardness either. Much of it was stuff that can only be obtained the hard way, through a life dedicated to the business side of that whole chain.
As this fight progressed, Poirier could be seen figuring out how he had to fight Makhachev. He stayed out of it (for the most part). He stopped the takedowns (again, for the most part). When he was knocked down, he found his way to his feet. He dragged Makhachev through the crucible that comes with mixing martial arts, then found opportunities for attacks through the fog of fatigue.
It was not enough. Makhachev also has a lot of that same toughness in store. He also has a wrestling and submission game that can go on autopilot when he needs it most. The final takedown of him was a thing of beauty, and just to add cruel irony, he immediately moved to the guillotine choke (that siren song that Poirier had managed to resist this time) and used it to transition to the end of the fight with D’arce. He drowned.
Of course it had to end like this. So close yet so far. The story of Poirier’s career, in a way. But his story is also about finding triumph even in failure. Poirier didn’t become as beloved in this sport by winning all the time. He did it by giving every ounce of himself, in a way that felt raw, real and totally sincere. He was never afraid to try and fail and then try and fail again.
That is what stays in people’s memories, and for much longer than the figures in the official record.
Some other thoughts on UFC 302…
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Sean Strickland had another fight with Sean Strickland. That is to say, he promised us a “bloodbath” and then carefully pointed the way to a split decision victory over Paulo Costa in the co-main event. You can’t blame him too much. By now we should know what to expect. It has a certain style and generally works. It’s just not very funny, so it probably has to keep promising bloodbaths to get our attention.
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It’s hard to complain about an early stop when you’re reduced to one functional arm. Such was the situation Michal Oleksiejczuk found himself in after Kevin Holland pinned his arm until his elbow bent in directions it wasn’t supposed to go. Oleksiejczuk didn’t like Herb Dean’s decision to call him off, but he also didn’t seem able to use the arm during any of his post-fight complaints. When you make an indignant gesture with one arm while the other falls to your side like an empty sleeve, it’s a good sign that the referee was right.
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Why not make Jailton Almeida’s wish come true and send him to Paris to fight Ciryl Gane? It’s the best idea I’ve ever heard for both of them, and it came from Almeida’s lips right after he had easily defeated an outmatched Alexander Romanov. I can’t think of a better way to find out if Gane has improved his running game while also giving Almeida a job worthy of his abilities.
