Islam Makhachev wasn’t expecting the kind of fight Dustin Poirier would bring to the table at UFC 302. But he fought hard, found his way in the final round, and defeated ‘The Diamond’. A dejected Poirier was seen thinking about the chance that slipped away when Khabib Nurmagomedov approached him with a wonderful gesture that truly defines sportsmanship.

Just like he lost to Islam Makhachev, Dustin Poirier also failed to capitalize on his chance to become an undisputed champion when he fought Khabib Nurmagomedov. The temperature between the UFC 302 contenders rose to a certain degree during the face-off, but in the wake of the fight, everyone seemed to have forgotten the beef, including ‘The Eagle’.

Khabib Nurmagomedov helps Dustin Poirier get on his feet

Dustin Poirier was seriously disappointed in himself after squandering what probably was his last chance to win the 155-pound gold. He even hinted later that this fight could very well be his last because he didn’t know what he would fight for in his next bout. As such, Poirier was sitting on the mat when Khabib Nurmagomedov appeared out of nowhere to chat with his former rival.

‘The Eagle’ picked up Dustin Poirer and helped get him to his feet. Thereafter, the two lightweight legends embraced each other and shared a few words, reminiscing about their past in the UFC together. Although it was a sad day for ‘The Diamond’, Khabib Nurmagomedov made sure to help him keep his head high with that sportsmanship-like gesture.

Meanwhile, for Islam Makhachev, this was indeed the biggest fight of his career and some would say even the toughest fight of his career, given that Dustin Poirier took him to the limit. But it was the defending champion who had the last laugh as he ended the fight with a statement.

Makhachev registers statement win with guillotine choke

Dustin Poirier would not let Islam Makhahev try to keep him on the back foot during their fight. He went toe-to-toe with the seemingly unbeatable Islam Makhachev and had all the answers to the Dagestan native’s several takedown attempts. However, after a few stern words from his mentor, Makhachev was determined to use his wrestling as a means to stop Poirier.

Deep into the final round, Islam Makhachev decided to go for a takedown, which he failed but was able to get hold of Poirier’s right leg. He would use an ankle pick to throw his opponent into the mat to get control over him and attempt a submission. If you’re wondering what kind of move he used to submit Dustin Poirier, well, it was the coveted guillotine choke. It was a big statement from Makhachev as he denied ‘The Diamond’ a fairytale ending.

What do you think? How did the fight go according to you? Drop your comments below.