Dustin Poirier says he has more regrets about Charles Oliveira fight than his defeats against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor
Dustin Poirier recently conceded that he harbors greater remorse over his defeat to Charles Oliveira compared to his setbacks against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor.
'The Diamond' is preparing to face off against reigning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in the main event of UFC 302, slated to take place this Saturday (June 1) at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
The sixth pay-per-view event of 2024 marks the 35-year-old American's third attempt at securing the undisputed title. Poirier is determined not to experience a destiny akin to his defeats against Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 in September 2019 and Oliveira at UFC 269 in December 2021, both of which saw him succumb to third-round submissions.
During a recent ESPN MMA interview, Poirier was questioned about having any repentance from his losses to the UFC Hall of Famer and 'do Bronx'. 'The Diamond' responded:
"The Khabib fight, not really. Obviously, I wish I would have performed better and won. But I was just outmatched, outgunned. I'm comfortable with saying that. I just wasn't prepared the way I needed to be for what he was bringing."
He added:
"In the Charles fight, there are more things that I look back at and say, 'Damn, I shouldn't have done that... I wish that didn't happen.' I felt that the first time I fought Conor [at UFC 178], as well. I think I'm past that, the aura of people... fighting not only the person but the crowd, the media, the critics."
Check out Dustin Poirier's comments below (6:45):
Poirier earned his shot at the title by securing a second-round stoppage victory over Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 299 in March, marking a comeback from his knockout loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 291 last July.
Dustin Poirier seeks greatness with potential victory over Islam Makhachev at UFC 302
Despite his acclaimed 30-fight UFC career and victories over several former champions, Dustin Poirier still yearns for the undisputed lightweight world title. He believes that his upcoming bout against Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 could be the breakthrough he needs.
In a recent interview with ESPN, 'The Diamond' conveyed that triumphing over Makhachev would solidify his legacy as one of the greatest fighters in the division:
"I have checked every single box except the one that says, 'undisputed champion.' That's a box I want checked. All the other boxes got checked on the way to this goal. It's a byproduct of me trying to be the best in the world. I'm still chasing that."
Dustin Poirier added:
"I think I'm knocking on the door. If I win this undisputed belt on June 1, you can stack my resume against any other 155-pound fighter in the world. I think I'm close to being the greatest."