Dustin Poirier facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dustin Poirier
Poirier in 2011
Born	Dustin Glenn Poirier (1989-01-19) January 19, 1989 (age 36) Lafayette, Louisiana, U.S.
Nickname(s)	The Diamond
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight	155 lb (70 kg)
Division	Featherweight (2011–2014) Lightweight (2009–2010, 2015–2025)
Reach	72 in (183 cm)
Stance	Southpaw
Fighting out of	Coconut Creek, Florida, U.S.
Team	Gladiators Academy (until 2012) American Top Team (2012–2025)
Rank	Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Tim Credeur
Years active	2009–2025
Mixed martial arts record
Total	41
Wins	30
By knockout	15
By submission	8
By decision	7
Losses	10
By knockout	3
By submission	4
By decision	3
No contests	1
Amateur record
Total	7
Wins	7
By knockout	5
By submission	1
Other information
Spouse	Jolie LeBlanc ​ (m. 2009)​
Children	1

Dustin Glenn Poirier (born January 19, 1989) is a famous American mixed martial artist who competed professionally. He fought in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He was once the Interim UFC Lightweight Champion. Many people consider him one of the best Lightweights ever. Poirier also fought for the main UFC Lightweight Championship three times and for the special BMF title twice. He holds the record for the most knockout wins in the UFC lightweight division, tied with Drew Dober.

Early Life and School

Dustin Poirier was born in Lafayette, Louisiana. His family has Cajun roots. He went to Northside High School for a short time. He left school in the ninth grade to focus on his fighting career.

Mixed Martial Arts Journey

Starting His Career

Poirier became a professional fighter in 2009. He quickly built a strong record of 7 wins and 0 losses. He mostly competed in smaller fighting events in his home state of Louisiana and the southern United States. A documentary called Fightville showed parts of his early fighting days.

World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC)

Dustin Poirier had his first fight in the WEC on August 18, 2010, at WEC 50. He lost this fight to Danny Castillo by a decision from the judges.

Later, on November 11, 2010, at WEC 52, Poirier won his fight against Zach Micklewright. He won by TKO (Technical Knockout) in the first round.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

Joining the UFC in 2010

In October 2010, the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) organization joined with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Because of this, all WEC fighters, including Dustin Poirier, moved to the UFC.

After the merger, the new UFC Featherweight Champion, José Aldo, was supposed to fight Josh Grispi. But Aldo had to pull out because of a back injury. Dustin Poirier stepped in to fight Grispi on January 1, 2011, at UFC 125. Poirier won this fight by a unanimous decision.

Fights in 2011

Poirier was set to fight Rani Yahya on June 11, 2011, at UFC 131. Yahya got injured, so Jason Young took his place. Poirier won against Young by unanimous decision after three rounds.

On November 12, 2011, Poirier fought Pablo Garza at UFC on Fox 1. Poirier won in the second round using a special move called a D'arce choke.

Fights in 2012

Poirier was scheduled to fight Erik Koch at UFC 143 on February 4, 2012. Koch got injured, and Ricardo Lamas replaced him. Then Lamas also got injured. Finally, Max Holloway agreed to fight Poirier. Poirier won against Holloway in the first round with a triangle-armbar move. This win earned him a "Submission of the Night" bonus.

Poirier then fought Chan Sung Jung, also known as "The Korean Zombie," on May 15, 2012. This was the main event at UFC on Fuel TV: Korean Zombie vs. Poirier. Jung won the fight by submission in the fourth round. Both fighters earned "Fight of the Night" honors for their exciting match. Many people called it the "Fight of the Year" for 2012.

On December 15, 2012, Poirier defeated Jonathan Brookins at The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale. He won with another D'arce Choke.

Fights in 2013

Poirier fought again quickly, just 63 days later. He replaced an injured Dennis Siver to face Cub Swanson on February 16, 2013, at UFC on Fuel TV: Barão vs. McDonald. It was a tough fight, and Poirier lost by unanimous decision.

On August 31, 2013, Poirier fought Erik Koch again at UFC 164. Poirier landed many strong punches and won the fight by unanimous decision. After this win, he said he wanted a rematch with Cub Swanson.

Poirier's last fight of 2013 was against Diego Brandão at UFC 168 on December 28. He won this fight by knockout in the first round.

Fights in 2014

Poirier faced Akira Corassani on April 16, 2014, at The Ultimate Fighter Nations Finale. He won by TKO in the second round. This fight also earned him a "Fight of the Night" bonus.

On September 27, 2014, Poirier fought Conor McGregor at UFC 178. Poirier lost this fight by TKO in the first round. This was the first time he had been stopped by strikes. After the fight, Poirier decided to move up to the Lightweight division. He said that cutting weight for the Featherweight division was making it hard for him to train properly. He believed he would win a championship belt in the Lightweight division.

Fights in 2015

Poirier's first Lightweight fight was against Carlos Diego Ferreira on April 4, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 63. He won by knockout in the first round. This win earned him his first "Performance of the Night" bonus.

On June 6, 2015, Poirier fought Yancy Medeiros at UFC Fight Night 68. He won by TKO in the first round after knocking Medeiros down twice. This was his second "Performance of the Night" bonus.

Fights in 2016

Poirier was supposed to fight Joseph Duffy on October 24, 2015. But Duffy got a concussion and the fight was moved to January 2, 2016, at UFC 195. Poirier won by unanimous decision. He had to take six weeks off after the fight because of a broken nose.

Poirier then fought Bobby Green on June 4, 2016, at UFC 199. He won by knockout in the first round.

On September 17, 2016, Poirier was in the main event again, fighting Michael Johnson at UFC Fight Night 94. Poirier lost this fight by knockout in the first round.

Fights in 2017

Poirier fought Jim Miller on February 11, 2017, at UFC 208. It was a very close fight, and Poirier won by a majority decision. He also received his third "Fight of the Night" bonus. He was suspended for a while due to injuries from this fight.

After his recovery, Poirier fought Eddie Alvarez on May 13, 2017, at UFC 211. Poirier was doing well, but Alvarez landed two illegal knee strikes while Poirier was on the ground. The referee stopped the fight and declared it a "no contest," meaning it didn't count as a win or loss for either fighter.

Poirier faced Anthony Pettis on November 11, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 120. He won by TKO in the third round when Pettis had to stop due to a broken rib. This fight also earned him a "Fight of the Night" bonus.

Fights in 2018

After the Pettis fight, Poirier signed a new contract with the UFC. He fought Justin Gaethje on April 14, 2018, at UFC on Fox 29. Poirier won by TKO in the fourth round. This exciting fight earned him another "Fight of the Night" bonus.

Poirier had a rematch with Eddie Alvarez on July 28, 2018, at UFC on Fox 30. He won this fight by TKO in the second round. This win earned him a "Performance of the Night" award.

Poirier was scheduled to fight Nate Diaz on November 3, 2018, at UFC 230. However, Poirier had to pull out of the fight because of a hip injury, and the match was canceled.

Fights in 2019

Because the Lightweight Champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, was unable to defend his title for a while, the UFC created an interim (temporary) championship. Poirier fought UFC Featherweight Champion Max Holloway for the Interim UFC Lightweight Championship on April 13, 2019, at UFC 236. Poirier won the tough fight by unanimous decision, becoming the interim champion and ending Holloway's long winning streak. This fight also earned him a "Fight of the Night" award.

Poirier then faced the undefeated and undisputed UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov on September 7, 2019, at UFC 242. This fight was to unify the titles. Poirier lost the fight by submission in the third round.

Fights in 2020

On June 27, 2020, Poirier fought Dan Hooker at UFC on ESPN: Poirier vs. Hooker. It was a very exciting and close fight, but Poirier won by unanimous decision. This fight earned him his seventh "Fight of the Night" award and was considered one of the best fights of the year.

Fights in 2021

Poirier had a rematch with Conor McGregor at UFC 257 on January 24, 2021. He won the fight by technical knockout in the second round. This made him the first person to defeat McGregor by knockout in an MMA fight. This win earned him a "Performance of the Night" award.

Poirier fought McGregor for a third time on July 10, 2021, at UFC 264. Poirier won in the first round by technical knockout. The fight was stopped by the doctor because McGregor suffered a broken leg and could not continue.

On December 11, 2021, Poirier fought Charles Oliveira for the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 269. He lost the fight by submission in the third round.

Fights in 2022

Poirier faced Michael Chandler on November 12, 2022, at UFC 281. He won the fight by submission in the third round. This fight earned him a "Fight of the Night" award.

Fights in 2023

Poirier had a rematch with Justin Gaethje for the special "BMF" belt on July 29, 2023, at UFC 291. He lost the fight by knockout in the second round.

Fights in 2024

Poirier fought Benoît Saint Denis at UFC 299 on March 9, 2024. He won the fight by knockout in the second round. This fight earned him another "Fight of the Night" award.

Poirier faced Islam Makhachev for the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 302 on June 1, 2024. He lost the fight by submission in the fifth round. This fight also earned him a "Fight of the Night" award.

Retirement in 2025

In his final fight, Dustin Poirier faced former UFC Featherweight Champion Max Holloway for a third time. This fight was for the symbolic "BMF" belt and took place on July 19, 2025, at UFC 318 in his home state of Louisiana. Poirier lost the fight by unanimous decision and retired from fighting after the bout.

Training and Fighting Style

Poirier used to train at Gladiators Academy. After a tough loss, he moved to American Top Team, a well-known training center.

Poirier's fighting stance.

Dustin Poirier has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. However, he is most known for his excellent striking skills, especially his boxing. He has used his boxing to win many important fights against top fighters like Justin Gaethje, Eddie Alvarez, Dan Hooker, Max Holloway, and Conor McGregor. He is known for his unique punching style and how he uses his shoulders and forearms to block punches.

Charity Work

Petty Officer 3rd Class Christopher Mosley arm wrestles with Poirier aboard USS George Washington in 2011.

Dustin Poirier is also known for his charity work. He once sold his fighting gear from a UFC event to raise money for a food bank.

In April 2018, Poirier and his wife started their own charity called The Good Fight Foundation. He often auctions off his fight gear to raise money for different causes. For example, he raised money for the family of a police officer and for a center that helps people in need. He also bought 500 backpacks for school children in his hometown.

After his fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242, they swapped shirts. Nurmagomedov said he would sell Poirier's shirt and give the money to Poirier's charity. Poirier also auctioned his own fight gear. Together, they raised a lot of money for The Good Fight Foundation. The foundation has worked to help provide clean drinking water to people in Uganda.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Poirier's foundation donated 1,000 meals to hospital workers in his area.

In 2020, the UFC gave Poirier the Forrest Griffin Community Award for all his charity work. On March 15, 2021, the mayor of Lafayette, Louisiana, declared it "Dustin Poirier Day" in honor of his contributions.

After his loss to Charles Oliveira, Poirier promised to donate $20,000 to a charity of Oliveira's choice in Brazil. The money went to the Charles Oliveira Institute, which teaches martial arts to kids for free.

In July 2023, Poirier spent a day with a 17-year-old boy who was a cancer patient, as part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Other Ventures

Poirier's Louisiana Style Hot Sauce

On December 8, 2020, Poirier launched his own brand of Cajun hot sauce called 'Poirier's Louisiana Style'. A special 'Heatonist K.O.' edition was released in July 2021.

Rare Stash

On January 5, 2022, Poirier announced his own bourbon brand called 'Rare Stash'.

Personal Life

Dustin Poirier spends most of his time in Lafayette, Louisiana, with his wife and daughter. Before fights, he travels to American Top Team in South Florida for training. He and his wife had their daughter in 2016.

Poirier got his first tattoo when he was 14. He has many tattoos on his chest and arms. One on his chest says "武士道" (bushidō), which means "the way of warriors" in Japanese.

Film and Video Games

Films

Video Games

Achievements and Awards

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Interim UFC Lightweight Championship (One time)
  • Fight of the Night (Ten times)
    • Tied for the most "Fight of the Night" bonuses in UFC history (10)
  • Submission of the Night (One time)
  • Performance of the Night (Four times)
    • Tied for fourth most post-fight bonuses in UFC history (15)
  • Tied for the most wins against current, former, or future UFC Champions (6)
  • Tied for the most knockouts in UFC Lightweight division history (9)
  • Tied for fourth most knockouts in modern UFC history (11)
  • Tied for sixth most wins in UFC history (22)
  • Tied for fifth most finishes in UFC history (15)
  • Fifth most knockdowns landed in UFC history (15)
  • Second most significant strikes landed in UFC Lightweight division history (1308)
  • Holds wins over five former UFC Champions
  • The only fighter to win a UFC interim belt by defeating a current undisputed UFC Champion
  • 2020 Forrest Griffin Community Award
• International Sport Combat Federation
  • ISCF Lightweight Tournament Championship (One time)
• MMAJunkie.com
  • 2014 April Fight of the Month
  • 2020 June Fight of the Month
  • 2021 January Fight of the Month
  • 2022 November Fight of the Month
  • 2018 Fight of the Year
• MMAWeekly.com
  • 2018 Fight of the Year
• MMA Fighting
  • 2018 Fight of the Year
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • 2012 Fight of the Year
  • 2018 Fight of the Year
• World MMA Awards
  • 2019 – July 2020 Fighting Spirit of the Year (for his charity work)
• Bloody Elbow
  • 2012 Fight of the Year

Professional Mixed Martial Arts Record

Amateur Mixed Martial Arts Record

Pay-Per-View Fights

See also

In Spanish: Dustin Poirier para niños

• List of male mixed martial artists