Dustin Poirier on top lightweight being in his corner for Islam Makhachev fight - "Incredible mind for MMA"
Former interim UFC lightweight world champion Dustin Poirier is headed for his second shot at undisputed gold at UFC 302 on June 1st. Across the octagon from him will be divisional kingpin, pound-for-pound great Islam Makhachev.
Makhachev is a teammate and protege of the man who previously cost 'The Diamond' his first shot at ruling his division, the great Khabib Nurmagomedov. One can argue that Poirier will learn from his mistakes against 'The Eagle' to thwart Makhachev's similarly wrestling-heavy game.
One such adjustment is having a new man in his corner, Polish wrestling specialist Mateusz Gamrot, who is a teammate at American Top Team.
One fan posted a photo of 'The Diamond' and his Polish stablemate with the caption:
"Dustin Poirier said that Mateusz Gamrot will be in his corner for his fight against Islam Makhachev #UFC302"
Poirier retweeted the photo and replied with:
"Yes! @gamer_mma is the man! Incredible mind for MMA"
Mateusz Gamrot started wrestling at the age of 10 and won the European Amateur MMA Championships in 2012. In addition to this, he also won a gold medal in the ADCC European Championships in 2014 and 2019.
'Gamer' has a pro record of 24-2 and 7-2 in the UFC. He is currently ranked No.5 in the UFC lightweight division while Dustin Poirier stands at No. 4.
Dustin Poirier hints at retirement after UFC 302
In an interview with MMA journalist Shakiel Mahjouri ahead of UFC 302, 'The Diamond' hinted at a possible retirement after the June 1 event, regardless of the outcome. It seems the former interim lightweight king is not seeing anything beyond Islam Makhachev at this point.
Poirier said:
"This could be the last one... I'm still on the fence, win or lose. I just want to be content with my career."
Here's a clip of the quote posted by No Smoke MMA on Twitter:
Fighting for more than 15 years as a pro and performing at the highest level in the UFC since 2011, Poirier has achieved immense success both in and out of the octagon. His highest achievement in the promotion is an interim world title win over former UFC featherweight king and current BMF champ Max Holloway.
Other notable victories include former champs like Eddie Alvarez, Justin Gaethje, and Conor McGregor (twice). If ever he does choose to hang up his gloves after UC 302, win or lose, his legacy is still cemented as one of the all-time greats.