issue 218

June 2025

Before the tattoos. Before the UFC lights. Before Dustin Poirier became one of the most respected names in MMA, there was this moment. A 21-year-old Lafayette local, standing tall in his hometown with a regional championship belt slung over his shoulder like it was the key to the big leagues. And maybe it was. That night, Poirier submitted Derrick Krantz with an armbar in Round 2. It was his first professional victory on home soil, in front of the crowd that helped shape him. That belt didn’t come with bonuses or ESPN promos, but it felt like the start of something massive to a kid from Louisiana. And it was. Ten months later, he was in the UFC, launching a career that would see him headline cards, claim interim gold, and become the people’s champion without needing a belt to prove it. This photo captures the last moment before liftoff by a young fighter whose future was already written in grit.

Date: March 6, 2010

Event: USA MMA 11

Location: Lafayette, Louisiana