Dustin Poirier's 10 greatest UFC fights, ranked (2024)

Making the top 10 is an underrated but important fight for Poirer’s UFC tenure – and that came against Jim Miller.

Not only was this clearly the best fight on an underwhelming UFC 208 pay-per-view card, but Miller was able to teach Poirier a useful lesson in calf kicks.

As one of the first fighters to successfully use lower extremity leg kicks in the octagon, Miller was able to abuse the southpaw versus southpaw matchup (despite that initially being Poirier’s game plan).

Poirier was able to dig out a deceptively close majority decision win, all while taking away an important leg kick lesson that would come in handy for his series with Conor McGregor.

Speaking of a series involving Poirier, I had to give a nod to the Lousiana slugger concluding the controversy of his first contest with Eddie Alvarez.

With their first encounter at UFC 211 ending in an unfortunate no-contest due to an illegal knee on Alvarez’s end, there was a decent amount of heat and build-up between these two heading into their main event meeting on FOX.

Although Alvarez almost jeopardized the fight by fouling from a dominant position, referee Marc Goddard made the right call by taking away position from the “The Underground King,” rather than taking a point. That said, Poirier ended up immediately capitalizing on the situation by putting Alvarez away with a vicious combination along the cage.

A win over Alvarez counts for a lot in my book, so this one makes the top 10.

Nov 11, 2017; Virginia, VA, USA; Dustin Poirier (red gloves) fights Anthony Pettis (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Notching the no. 8 spot is a bloody classic between Poirier and former UFC champion, Anthony Pettis.

When I use the term “bloody,” I’m not utilizing English slang — I mean to say that this is one of the bloodiest fights you’ll ever see.

An instant classic from Jump Street, this battle features everything from dedicated pressure striking to some incredibly entertaining (and slippery) scrambles with submission scares around every corner.

The ending is a bit abrupt, but it’s still worthy of making my list.

Mar 9, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Dustin Poirier reacts after knocking out Benoit Saint Denis during UFC 299 at Kayesa Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Sliding in at No. 7 is a more recent performance from Poirier opposite Benoit Saint-Denis.

At the time, Saint-Denis was on a five-fight finishing streak in the UFC and was the odds-on favorite to beat Poirier come the night of their encounter at UFC 299.

Even though Saint-Denis got off to a strong start and was able to get to some dominant positions, Poirier was able to fight back to his feet and hit the Frenchman with his patent check right hook – a punch that I specifically predicted would end the fight in my pre-fight breakdown.

Like many times before, it was a moment where Poirier was being doubted after coming off a loss and needed to remind the masses who he was. And that he did.

May 15, 2012; Fairfax, VA, USA; Dustin Poirier (right) looks for an opening on the Korean Zombie (left) during the Korean zombie vs Poirier event at Patriot Center. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports

It always feels weird to put a fighter’s loss on a list like this, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t shout out one of the greatest featherweight wars of all time between Poirier and Chan Sung Jung.

In what was among the first wave of five-round main events for non-title fights that the UFC started putting on, Poirier and Jung were given an opportunity to showcase the lighter weight classes after Zuffa LLC., at this time, recently absorbed World Extreme Cagefighting and it’s subsequent roster.

It was a barnburner from the first bell that featured exciting exchanges on the feet and insanely memorable scrambles on the floor.

Poirier ended up faltering in the fourth frame after appearing to be taking over in the third, but this fight ultimately ended up being a positive for the product of Louisiana given the fact that it helped encourage him to start training full-time at American Top Team to upgrade his game.

Dustin Poirier vs. Dan Hooker

Despite Poirier’s 25-minute war with Dan Hooker already earning a top-five spot for me, you can argue that it rates even higher if this instant classic went down in front of an actual crowd instead of the hollow atmosphere of the UFC Apex.

It was a blood-stained war that saw both parties going at it in every phase, demonstrating the level of doggedness that can somehow exist inside a human being.

It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s a fight that is definitely worth revisiting.

Nov 12, 2022; New York, NY, USA; Dustin Poirier (red gloves) and Michael Chandler (blue gloves) during UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jessica Alcheh-USA TODAY Sports

Narrowly nothing the No. 4 spot is Poirier’s three-round thriller with Michael Chandler at UFC 281.

Akin to the previous selection opposite Hooker, Poirier was once again coming off a failed bid for the lightweight title, leaving everyone from pundits to the Gen Pop to wonder what his status was.

Thankfully for us, Poirier had a willing dance partner in Chandler who was ready to test the WEC vet from the first bell.

The first frame was arguably the round of the year, while the rest of the fight played out in an absolutely brutal and bloody fashion (featuring some of the nastiest fish hook fouls you’ll see from the Chandler side). That said, Poirier was able to persevere through some tough spots to secure one of the sweetest submission finishes of his career.

Coming in at No. 3 is Poirier’s rematch with Conor McGregor back at UFC 257.

Even though this fight may not have as many moments as some of the previous selections, I’d argue that the importance of this encounter alone earns its spot in the top five.

Not only was Poirier’s rivalry with McGregor a heated one, but this fight was an undeniable milestone for the Loisianan’s legacy given the gravity of the Irishman.

Not only did Poirier implement lessons learned from his battle with Jim Miller, but he was also able to punish McGregor with his superior lead hand throughout the fight.

Dustin Poirier at UFC 236. (Logan Riely-Getty Images)

Even though this fight is arguably interchangeable with my selection for No. 1, Poirier’s rematch with Max Holloway will have to settle for second place on this list.

An instant classic that serves as a solid two-way technical affair for the fight nerds out there, Poirier and Holloway demonstrate some of the finest striking exchanges we’ve been privy to in MMA.

Holloway constantly attempts to get his building dynamic going, but Poirier continuously counters successfully to destroy the Hawaiian’s progress.

Taking the top spot is Poirier’s first meeting with Justin Gaethje back at UFC on FOX 29.

Akin to Gaethje’s previous war with Eddie Alvarez, this fight was another perfect example of two cars in a death race with one another, seeing who can make it to the finish line in one piece.

“A game of inches” may be associated with Al Pacino in the film Any Given Sunday, but you’ll see why MMA is easily just as apropos an example when looking at the condition of Poirier’s leg in what was a winning effort.

My favorite kind of fight in the sense that it truly tested human limits on both sides of the equation.

*Honorable mentions: Dustin Poirier vs. Diego Brandao at UFC 168; Dustin Poirier vs. Akira Corassani at TUF Nations Finale.