Dustin Poirier has a lengthy recovery ahead of him following his loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 302, which resulted in multiple injuries.
“Nose is broken bad, rib is broken and my ACL is partially torn,” Poirier wrote on X on Wednesday. “Fight life.”
During Saturday’s match in Newark, N.J., Poirier’s eye swelled between rounds and he complained of what appeared to be a broken nose. Post-round replays showed it likely occurred on an accidental clash of heads.
Poirier, 35, also confirmed the accidental clash broke his nose when a fan asked him about it on X on Wednesday. He also shared a photo of the X-ray of his broken nose and captioned it “Nosey O’Donnell.”
Nose is broken bad, rib is broken and my ACL is partially torn.
FIGHT LIFE ⚔️
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) June 5, 2024
The knee injury appeared to occur in the fourth round as Poirier defended a takedown against the fence. He could be seeing looking over to his coaches in pain during the exchange.
Poirier, one of the best boxers in UFC history, displayed the best takedown defense of his career during UFC 302 before an ankle pick caught him midway through the fifth and final round. From there, Makhachev twisted his body and clawed his hands around Poirier’s neck with a D’Arce choke.
Advertisement
Poirier tapped out and then promptly passed out from the choke.
Poirier has openly discussed retirement in the past year but declined to make an official announcement after the loss. However, he acknowledged the potential reality of UFC 302 being his last fight.
“I think this could be it, honestly, Joe,” Poirier told Joe Rogan in the cage afterward. “If this is my last fight, I want to dedicate this journey to the people that made me the man that I am, and that’s the women in my life.”
Required reading
- Islam Makhachev retains UFC lightweight title with 5th round submission of Dustin Poirier at UFC 302
(Photo: Luke Hales / Getty Images)