Islam Makhachev battered Dustin Poirier at UFC 302. Makhachev submitted Poirier in the fifth round in a very entertaining fight. But nobody understood the full extent for the aftermath Poirier.
“Nose is broken bad, rib is broken and my ACL is partially torn,” Poirier said on Wednesday, chalking his injuries up to “Fight Life.”
After the fight, Poirier told reporters that he “might have messed up” his ACL defending a takedown in the third or fourth round of the fight but fought through it. He also stated that his nose was “shattered” and later confirmed it on X with an x-ray of his nose and the caption “Nosey O’Donnell.”
Suspended indefinitely
Poirier received an indefinite suspension from the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, due to the severity of the knee and nose injuries. It is not known if he will need surgery or how long he will be sidelined. But the suspension gives him time to properly heal and eventually get back into the octagon.
Despite the loss, Poirier put up a great fight. Fans appreciated his resiliency as he was constantly finding a way to stay in the fight. He survived multiple submission attempts, fought off a series of takedowns and battled for nearly 25 minutes before succumbing to a late D’arce choke in the final round. It’s not easy surviving against the UFC’s #1 pound for pound fighter. Unfortunately the third time wasn’t the charm and it’ll be hard getting another crack at the belt. But despite the odds, we know that Poirier will give it another shot.
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