Dustin Poirier shares three-word reaction to Donald Trump complimenting his performance against Islam Makhachev
On an Instagram story that's no longer available, Dustin Poirier responded to Donald Trump's recent praise. The former United States president lauded 'The Diamond' for his gutsy effort against UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in their title fight at UFC 302.
Despite the fifth-round submission loss to Makhachev, Poirier earned Trump's respect. The toughness 'The Diamond' showcased in refusing to bend until he was pushed to his very limit led to Trump refusing to brand Poirier the loser of the fight. Now, Poirier has responded.
The former ufc-interim-champions-failed-unify-belts" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">interim lightweight champion took to his Instagram story to express mutual respect for Trump. While the aforementioned story is no longer available, a screenshot of it has been floating around X/Twitter, shared by an account that was not too pleased with Poirier's reaction.
Nevertheless, Poirier's story said the following:
"Real recognize real"
It should be noted that the words featured on the story were not Poirier's. Instead, he shared someone else's Instagram story, as evidenced by his username being tagged. While 'The Diamond' often holds his political leanings close to his chest, this was a glimpse.
For now, Poirier is campaigning for another fight in the UFC, walking back on all of the retirement talk that preceded his failed title challenge at UFC 302. Unfortunately for him, neither the promotion nor Dana White have said anything about booking a retirement bout for him.
However, it is likely that Poirier will continue pleading his case until he is answered, as he will not want to retire on a loss.
Donald Trump gave Dustin Poirier a standing ovation at UFC 299
Before Dustin Poirier was given his third crack at undisputed UFC lightweight gold, he faced Benoît Saint Denis at UFC 299. The two men locked horns in a back-and-forth affair, before Poirier knocked the Frenchman out in round two, for which he received a standing ovation from Donald Trump, who was cage-side.
Check out Dustin Poirier and Donald Trump having a moment at UFC 299 (0:19):
Poirier even approached the chain-linked fence and shared some words with the former United States president. He was not the only fighter at the event who supported Trump, however.
The matchup right below Poirier's was a welterweight clash that featured Kevin Holland, who has also expressed admiration for the ex-president.