UFC 302 is effectively ‘one sleep away’ and fans cannot contain their excitement for the event that awaits them. Owing to the tremendous buildup throughout Fight Week, viewers from all around the world are heavily invested in witnessing what could unfold. That said, Dustin Poirier and Islam Makhachev’s first meeting has massively contributed to it as well.
For those unaware, Dustin Poirier came face to face with the lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev for the first time ahead of their showdown right after the press conference on Thursday. During their brief exchange, things quickly turned hostile owing to a misunderstanding regarding Dustin’s “motherf****r” comments which clearly offended the reigning champ.
IT’S ALL GOING DOWN TOMORROW 🏆
🐺 @MAKHACHEVMMA vs @DustinPoirier 💎
[ @ESPNPlus PPV | 10pmET/7pmPT | #UFC302 ] pic.twitter.com/NwL7ho487i
— UFC (@ufc) May 31, 2024
As a result, their interaction, which had mostly been cordial with a few tongue-in-cheek comments here and there up until now, quickly turned sour with Islam Makhachev even threatening to slap his opponent. Naturally, this is the first time that we’ve seen the champ get so worked up and agitated with one of his opponents. Thus, the faceoff grabbed the attention of many all over the globe.
Dustin Poirier and Islam Makhachev squash their beef after a heated altercation
Naturally, the incident raised a lot of eyebrows with people making all sorts of assumptions as to what went down between the two fighters. Initially, there was a lot of guessing about what was said, seeing that there were no mics near the fighters during the faceoff. That said, numerous outlets have since revealed all that was said, which has brought more clarity to the situation.
For the most part, the issue arises from the previously mentioned “motherf****r” comment that Dustin Poirier made, which is a common insult in the US, but for an outsider and a person of a different culture, the meaning of the word can be taken very literally. As a result, Poirier who understood what the mix-up was extended his hand to make amends backstage after the weigh-ins on Friday.
Dustin Poirier: “You know me. I would never disrespect your family like that. It’s still war, but I would never disrespect your family, that’s not my heart.”
Islam Makhachev: “I’m happy [to] understand what they mean, because it’s not good in our country, maybe in the US it’s good, but our country it’s not.”
Following the scuffle at the press conference, Ali Abdelaziz also likely explained the matter to Islam Makhachev. Owing to his culture being very family-oriented and having close-knit communities, such a comment can be inferred as a massive abuse and sign of disrespect. Whilst Islam still possibly may not be able to infer the comment, he simply labels it as an ‘American thing’ to say instead.
Dustin Poirier responds to Conor McGregor’s prediction for the Islam Makhachev fight
Coming into this one, there has been a lot of talk from Conor McGregor as well. Having been one of the first to make claims about Islam Makhachev’s rumored staph infection, he seemingly has a score to settle with both fighters. As such, he hasn’t missed any opportunity to rip into either of them, making fun of Dustin Poirirer’s custom floral shorts as well.
In a live stream a few weeks ago, ‘The Notorious One’ also predicted the outcome of the fight between Islam and Dustin. Initially, the Irishman picked his former foe to win against Makhachev, by way of a ‘check back hook’ something that the Dagestani fighter seemingly has a weakness to. However, owing to the news of the staph infection, he was quick to change his prediction to a first-round submission win for Islam instead.
Responding to McGregor’s predictions for the fight, Dustin Poirier stated:
“Man, f*** him.”
On the other hand, ‘The Diamond’, despite his clear dislike for Conor, picked him to win against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 later this month:
“I think if he’s anything like he was before the injury, with his timing, speed, and accuracy, he’s gonna knock Chandler out.”
Thus, one would suggest that a potential win for both Conor and Dustin Poirier effectively leaves the door open for a potential ‘quadrilogy’ between the two. Owing to the controversial ending of their trilogy fight, it is hard to see why McGregor would not push for it. At the same time, if Poirier wins the lightweight title, it would offer an added incentive and stakes to the fight.
