Until last month, former Ultimate Fighting Championship interim lightweight titleholder Dustin Poirier was far from the title picture. The likely suspects to challenge reigning king Islam Makhachev included Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan. As many would have speculated earlier this year, even former 145-pound champ Alexander Volkanovski had better cards stacked in his favor of a potential disruption of the ruling champion above. However, a chain of fortuitous breaks and a tenacious display against a flourishing contender saw “The Diamond” shine through as a front-runner for the next shot.
By the Numbers: Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier
