On January 23rd, The Diamond Finally Cashes in his Destiny

No fighter has ever had it easy, but it is safe to say that Dustin Poirier had the toughest road to UFC glory.

After going 1-1 in the WEC, The Diamond wasn’t quite sure if he would get his shot at the UFC’s elite, but seven weeks right after his final WEC fight against the forever game Zachary Micklewright, The Diamond was set to make his UFC debut. However, it wasn’t the ordinary debut we usually see fighters have, not even close. The man was tossed into the world’s biggest stage under the brightest lights against the number one contender Josh Grispi, who was being built to be the best 145-pounder at the time.
Grispi was about to face the consensus greatest featherweight of all time, Jose Aldo. Since Aldo pulled out of the fight due to an injury, the UFC gave Dustin the call to keep Grispi active, and nobody truly believed that the 21-year-old newcomer had any chance. And what does he do? He kicks-in the MGM Grand doors in sin city and puts on an absolute clinic making sin city’s gamblers question whether they will ever bet on the heavy favorite again.

It was January 1st, 2011, when the Diamond announced his arrival by putting every featherweight in the roster on notice, making it one of the most memorable debuts in the UFC.
The man was on a roll. Riding a five-fight win streak which included finishing the great Max Hollaway in the first round.
His win streak granted him his first-ever UFC main event against the hardest hitter in the division, ‘The Korean Zombie’, who had the MMA world shook after his 7-second knockout win, which was the fastest knockout in UFC history at the time.
Both men rose to the occasion, delivering a fight of the year contender by putting everything on the line. Eventually, ‘The Korean Zombie’ got the finish in the 4th round. The Diamond was devastated, pouring his heart and soul into that night. Pure raw emotions came out backstage with one sentence that stuck with me until this day. While in tears, he said, ‘I owed it to my wife; this is my life.’

The man was down but surely not out. At that moment, he had realized that for him to reach the top of the throne and fulfill his promise to his wife, he had to make peace with the fact that there very well might be many more setbacks waiting for him on the road to greatness.

After picking himself off the ground, he went on an absolute tear going 12-3, facing the sport’s biggest names, including Eddie Alvarez twice, Conor Mcgregor, Anthony Pettis, Justin Gaethje, and many more. With his mental strength alongside his world-class skillset combined with years of sacrifice, the man was finally granted a shot at UFC gold.

The stage was set, UFC236 April 19th, 2019. Almost seven years after Dustin’s first-ever UFC main event, the Diamond was headlining one of the year’s biggest cards against a familiar foe, the UFC featherweight GOAT Max Hollaway. Both men squared off in the middle of the octagon, giving us an instant classic.

After their 5 round war, the smoke had cleared. The energy was indescribable at that moment. It was a sight to see. Dustin had found himself in tears yet again. However, this time, it was tears of joy from realizing that all the sacrifices he made had paid off. It was like the weight of the world was lifted off his shoulders. The Diamond was on his knees, with UFC gold around his waist. He did it. He actually did it. Dustin Poirier is a world champion. In his post-fight interview, surrounded by his family and loved ones, he looked over his shoulder to his wife, dedicating the fight to her and telling her that this is her belt as much as it’s his. This takes us back to almost seven years ago when he had lost his first UFC main event, and after his loss, the first thing he said was ‘I owed this to my wife’. Fast forward seven years later he delivered what he owed and more.

Video Credit: Zuffa, LLC

This monumental moment set him up for a unification bout against the pound for pound king, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
While everyone said that the Diamond was about to enter uncharted waters going up against The Eagle, it was actually the story of his life. He was never put in any situation in his favor, yet he always found a way to thrive no matter the outcome.
The fight ends, Khabib was victorious. Dustin was devastated. Although he was not a stranger to adversity, this one hurt him the most. Knowing that he was closer than ever to becoming the undisputed king of the lightweights meant everything to him. Most importantly, he had absolutely no doubt in his mind that his destiny would be fulfilled in the dunes of Abu Dhabi.

Once again, the man was down yet still not out. A lesson was taken from every loss, but the lesson from this one was different. It was all about timing in life.
Everything was put into perspective for the young man from Lafayette, realizing that he was right. His destiny was indeed set for him to become undisputed. September 7th just wasn’t his time yet. It was father and son night because it was the storybook ending that Abdulmanap wished to have before his time came.
Although the Diamond didn’t become undisputed that night, he returned home from Abu Dhabi with a key to financial freedom to set his family for a beautiful future. In addition, he came back with another key for his nonprofit organization, ‘The Good Fight Foundation’ to unlock all doors for people in need all around the world.
In hindsight, September 7th was his final character-building test, and what was the proof? Stepping back into the octagon against the hungry, confident Dan Hooker, who was being built to be New Zealand’s next big star. But in typical Dustin Poirier fashion, he put an end to the hype in a fight for the ages where many people have labeled it as one of the greatest fights in combat sports history.

This wasn’t just for him anymore. The purpose was much bigger than that. Driven by his daughter, Inspired to show her that her father took the hardest road in this life under the toughest circumstances to chase a dream he once had. Not only did he reach his dream, but he also became the best in the world at what he set out to do. That would set an example for her. If her father accomplished all that despite having all the odds against him, Then she could truly achieve whatever she sets out to do in this life. And that is the most precious gift that he could ever leave her with, a timeless legacy for the world to cherish and honor forever.

After waiting and persevering more than anyone in the sport, the King of Lafayette finally earned himself one night to make life fair. Most importantly, one night to capture what he had paid for in full, his destiny of becoming undisputed. January 23rd, he will face the biggest name in combat sports, The Notorious. Moreover, the fight will be located nowhere other than Abu Dhabi, the same place he had envisioned his destiny to be captured at just over a year ago. You can’t script this. Timing is everything in life, and the strongest fighter in the world is the one fighting for the biggest ‘why’ with a never say die spirit. Though people are counting out The Diamond yet again due to the fact that this is a rematch from their 2014 clash that the Irishman had taken and gone on to become the face of the fight game, nobody was stopping Mcgregor back at that night because it was simply his time.

Most people start to lose faith and hope in their vision when the setbacks keep happening at the finish line. But in the words of the great Michael Bisping, ‘All signs were showing me that this wasn’t my destiny, but I was too stubborn to believe that, so I kept going and I finally did it.’ That was what he told me when I had the honor of meeting him in Toronto after his title win. Dustin’s journey is similar to Bisping’s. If there is one word to describe it, it’s perseverance.

Picking yourself up time and time again is the hardest thing to do in life, but it will turn into the most glorious, gratifying feeling when you finally reach the mountain top. That is what Louisiana’s finest is showing us. On January 23rd, Dustin Glenn Poirier finally cashes in his destiny. Will you be a witness?