By At UFC 302, Dustin Poirier is reflecting on his career after a submission loss to Islam Makhachev, who successfully defended his UFC lightweight title. Makhachev extended his winning streak to 14 fights with a D’arce choke in the fifth round, marking Poirier’s third unsuccessful title challenge.
In front of a notable audience including former US President Donald Trump, Makhachev dominated with 88 significant strikes and five takedowns. Poirier, at 35, is contemplating retirement, questioning the purpose of continuing to fight solely for the sake of it.
Makhachev aspires to become a double-world champion by moving up to welterweight, expressing his desire for a new challenge.
In other UFC 302 highlights, Sean Strickland won a split decision over Paulo Costa, maintaining his top middleweight ranking. Kevin Holland achieved a quick submission victory over Michal Oleksiejczuk, and both Niko Price and Randy Brown secured unanimous decision wins in their welterweight fights.
