Dustin Poirier remains fueled by his fiercely competitive nature — even after the final bell.
Despite the wave of support and admiration he’s received following his unanimous decision loss to Max Holloway in the UFC 318 main event on Saturday night, “The Diamond” (30-10 MMA, 22-9 UFC) has been fixated on the judges’ scorecards.
The bout delivered exactly what both Poirier and Holloway promised — 25 minutes of beautiful violence, with each fighter coming close to securing a finish. In the end, the judges awarded the victory to former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway by scores of 48-47, 49-46, and 49-46. However, Poirier was surprised by how decisively the scorecards favored Holloway.
“Obviously I wanted to win,” Poirier told reporters at the post-fight press conference on Saturday. “Max is a great fighter, tough competitor. I just felt being inside the eye of the storm, it felt a lot closer to me. I really thought it might have been 2-2 going into the fifth (round). Mike Brown (Poirier’s coach) checked the scorecards when we got to the locker room and I think the judges gave me different rounds, so I don't know. I think all the judges gave him the second round. I thought I almost had him out.
“He hurt me too, but I thought my shot was, when I followed up with elbows, I was cracking him. He told me in the medical tent, he said, ‘man, you had me out.’ We couldn't hear the bell. So I just, it felt, you know, being in the fight, it felt like a lot closer than that when I heard the judges. 49-whatever, I was like, ‘no way. It was closer than that.’ Like the man says, it is what it is.”
Since making his UFC debut on New Year’s Day in 2011, Dustin Poirier has stepped into the Octagon 32 times, earning a reputation as one of the most thrilling fighters in the promotion’s history. Although he didn’t get his hand raised in what may have been his final appearance, Poirier feels grateful for the chance to say goodbye to the sport in his home state of Louisiana, surrounded by friends and family.
“It was amazing,” Poirier said, smiling. “I really felt appreciated this week. I know I said it a couple times in interviews when people asked me about it. I never look back or look at it like a third person before this week and say, ‘wow, I did accomplish a lot in this sport.’
“You know, I did make people feel certain ways and make people inspired. I didn't think about that but the love and the outreach this week has been incredible and I really feel it, you know, I really feel it, and I'm just thankful that people got inspired or people followed my journey. You know, you can do anything you put your mind to, and that's what I want my story to be. I want people to realize that no matter where you come from, if you believe and work hard enough, you can make dreams happen, you know, because I'm just a kid out here, walking out (to the Octagon) with Lil Wayne, living his dreams, man crazy, putting on wars, you know, with the best guys in the world. That's what a beautiful life. It's a beautiful story because I know the author, that's what it is.”
