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Dustin Poirier recently reflected on what he considers the defining win of his MMA career. Speaking on Joe Rogan’s MMA […]
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports Dustin Poirier recently reflected on what he considers the defining win of his MMA career. Speaking on Joe Rogan’s MMA show , the now-retired lightweight looked back on his knockout of Conor McGregor at UFC 257 in January 2021 and explained why that fight, above all others in a 19-year career, was the one that shifted everything for him.
“I fought 19 years, that Conor fight, that’s when things changed for me recognition-wise,” Poirier said. “The door opened for seminars, for appearances. That changed everything.
I had been in so many UFC main events. I had fought for the belt and done all this stuff, but that guy’s name, man. ” Poirier and McGregor first met in 2014, when McGregor knocked Poirier out in 98 seconds.
Seven years later, Poirier reversed that result in Abu Dhabi, finishing McGregor in the second round. It was a significant moment in UFC history, but Poirier’s comments make clear just how much it meant to him personally and professionally. The remarks are striking, given the résumé Poirier had already built before that night.