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Was Dustin Poirier Injured Ahead of His Championship Fight Against Islam Makhachev at UFC 302? Find Out
Yves Edwards, coach at American Top Team and a good friend of Dustin Poirier, talks about Diamond's health ahead of the UFC 302 fight against Islam Makhachev.
Dustin Poirier fought a tough battle with Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 pay-per-view for the lightweight championship crown. This was the third and most probably the last time Diamond got shot at the lightweight championship.
Unfortunately, even after battling with all his soul, Diamond was unable to finish his story of becoming the undisputed UFC champion. Islam Makhachev kept his promise, finishing Dustin Poirier in round five with a choke, and retained his championship, proving to the world why he is the number one ranked pound-for-pound best UFC fighter.
Recently, Yves Edwards, coach at American Top Team and close friend of Dustin Poirier revealed that Diamond injured his ribs during sparring ahead of his fight with Islam Makhachev.
While talking to MMA Today, Yves Edwards said, “ The way he performed on Saturday night, that was super impressive to me. Nobody knows this, and he probably is gonna be like, ‘Man, why’d you put that out there’ But like, I know Makhachev was also not 100 percent; nobody goes into a fight 100 percent, but he (Dustin Poirier ) hurt his ribs two weeks before the fight and hadn’t wrestled or grappled for two and a half weeks.”
Edwards further praised Dustin Poirier for his performance at UFC 302 against a dominant champion like Islam Makhachev, “ I probably shouldn’t say that, but to me it’s so impressive against that guy. Against somebody else, it wouldn’t matter. Against that guy, Islam, man, you wrestled like that against that guy with hurt ribs. I’m impressed.”
Dustin Poirier had a rib injury history. He revealed after UFC 299 that he went into the fight with injured ribs and still somehow managed to knock out the upcoming contender of the lightweight division, Benoît Saint-Denis. Edwards didn't mention whether this was the same injury Dustin talked about at UFC 299 or whether Diamond sustained a new injury going into the fight against Islam Makhachev.
Islam Makhachev Confirms He Had Staff Injection Ahead of UFC 302
Just days before the Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier championship, both fighters had a pre-fight photoshoot in their fighting gear. Fans noticed a mark on Islam Makhachev’s leg and shared their concern about him potentially suffering from a staff infection ahead of UFC 302.
Islam Makhachev was asked about his leg at a pre-fight UFC 302 press conference, and he mentioned he was fit to fight Dustin Poirier.
Later, After the fight, while talking to UFC Eurasia, Islam Makhachev confirmed that he had a staff infection going into the match against Dustin Poirier.
Makhachev said, “That photo went viral I had a staph infection, and it was bothering me a bit for a week or so when we arrived here in the US. It did distract me a little, so I didn't train. I had some rest to make sure it wouldn't get worse. I saw the doctors; I don't think it really affected me. We didn't even think about pulling out.”
Even after injuries, both fighters fought an absolute dogfight for almost 22 minutes before the Russian champion choked Diamond. Fans are ranking their fight as one of the best championship fights in the UFC’s lightweight division.
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