Dustin Poirier was prepared for the fight of his life at UFC 302 and was given everything he could handle from lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. Despite being billed as a heavy underdog, the 35-year-old veteran put up a valiant effort in what was likely his final fight before relenting to a submission in the fifth round.
In the days since the event’s conclusion, Poirier has been active on social media in thanking fans for their support throughout his lengthy career. With his most recent update, ‘The Diamond’ confirmed the injuries he suffered on June 1.
Dustin Poirier Reveals Current Injuries on Social Media
Nose is broken bad, rib is broken and my ACL is partially torn.
FIGHT LIFE ⚔️
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) June 5, 2024
With a tweet on June 5, Dustin Poirier confirmed the rumors that he had suffered major injuries in his 23-minute war with Islam Makhachev.
Poirier tweeted:
“Nose is broken bad, rib is broken and my ACL is partially torn. FIGHT LIFE”
In his post-fight Octagon interview, UFC commentator Joe Rogan brought up potential knee issues with Poirier, who confirmed he felt something tear in a clinch situation against the fence. However, Poirier dismissed the issue to not construct an immediate excuse, telling Rogan he was “good.”
The former interim champion then addressed his visibly damaged nose in his backstage media presser, saying he knew his nose was broken “for sure.” In an additional tweet, Poirier claims the broken nose came from an accidental clash of heads in the fight.
Dustin Poirier Entered UFC 302 With a Rib Injury
"[Dustin Poirier] hadn't wrestled or grappled for like two and half weeks."@thugjitsumaster reveals an injury that Dustin Poirier suffered in training 2 weeks before #UFC302
Source: MMA Today with @RJcliffordMMA pic.twitter.com/TwpkLddKuP
— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) June 3, 2024
Days after his loss to Islam Makhachev, Dustin Poirier’s longtime friend and current coach, Yves Edwards, spoke with RJ Clifford of MMA Today on the Sirius XM Radio network. In the interview, Edwards claimed that the challenger suffered a rib injury in the weeks leading up to UFC 302, preventing him from doing any grappling training during the final weeks of his fight camp.
Edwards said:
“Nobody knows this… Nobody goes into a fight 100 percent but [Dustin Poirier] hurt his ribs like three weeks before the fight and hadn’t wrestled for the last two and a half weeks.”
Edwards, a former UFC lightweight, retired from the sport in 2014 after 66 professional fights. Since leaving his fighting days in the past, the American Top Team veteran has remained with the gym as an assistant coach.
Dustin Poirier Remains Non-Committal on Potential Retirement
Following weeks of promoting UFC 302 as his “final shot” to win an undisputed championship, Dustin Poirier has yet to make an official decision on his fighting career. Poirier remained adamant throughout fight week that his potential retirement after the fight was only a possibility and not a guarantee but many felt as if he would finally leave his gloves in the Octagon after 40 professional bouts.
In the days since his war with Islam Makhachev, Poirier has been active on social media in keeping in touch with fans but has yet to address the elephant in the room. Immediately after the fight, the 35-year-old told Joe Rogan that he would mull over the decision with his family but appeared to use a tone indicating he was leaning more towards retiring than staying active.
Poirier confirmed that he would no longer be fighting up-and-coming young contenders and would need a significant motivator to lure him back into the cage.
Also Read: UFC Reveals a Huge Lineup of Fresh Matchups for the July Event in Denver-06/05/2024
About the Author
Jaren Kawada is a freelance sports writer from Indianapolis, Indiana by way of Honolulu, Hawaii with a strong passion for MMA and sports betting. Kawada has also written for Sportskeeda MMA, FanSided MMA, and BetSided as a combat sports analyst. Follow on X/Twitter at @jarenkawada1 or on Instagram at @kawadajaren.
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