Dustin Poirier is one of the biggest names on the UFC’s roster right now. Not only has Dustin been a great fighter, but he has also been the interim lightweight champion as well. As such, in his time fighting, Poirier has tangled with some of the biggest names in the sport, including Conor McGregor.
Throughout the years, Poirier has been in some absolute wars. Be it Eddie Alvarez, Max Holloway, Justin Gaethje, or Dan Hooker, the Louisiana native has shown that he is willing to go to deep waters to get the results he wants. Sometimes, Poirier is even willing to wait for years in order to settle the score. Such has been the case for his feud with Conor McGregor.
Previously, Poirier faced off against an up-and-coming McGregor at UFC 178. At the time, both fighters were still on their journey to the top of the featherweight division and relatively new to the game. On the night, McGregor bested Poirier with ease, taking the KO/TKO victory within the very first round of the fight.
In what was a heated fight, it was a bitter pill to swallow for Poirier. As such, it prompted him to move up to lightweight and give himself a shot at fighting to his full capability. Thus Dustin began his lightweight journey racking up numerous finishes before fighting Max Holloway for the interim lightweight title. Following that, Dustin was unsuccessful in trying to capture the undisputed title from Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Dustin Poirier’s purse from fighting Conor McGregor was disappointing
However, Dustin did well to make a solid turnaround against Dan Hooker. Finally, it was time for Poirier and McGregor to have their showdown once again in Jan 2021. This time around, the fight was at lightweight and during a time when the world was still coming back to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite their heated past, both fighters had a much more calmer demeanor this time around.
However, this did not pay dividends for McGregor who got taken apart by leg kicks and got knocked out cold by Poirier inside two rounds. Similar to the lead-up, the pleasantries continued even after the fight. However, things changed drastically by the time the trilogy came about. Unlike last time, the lead-up to the fight was intense, hate-filled with death threats also thrown about.
Unfortunately, the fight itself was rather anti-climatic, ending in the very first round after McGregor broke his leg. With the two going back and forth even after the fight, it was certainly one of the most hostile rivalries in recent times. Despite that, it is safe to say that Poirier came out of it a very wealthy man. For his first fight against McGregor, Poirier had earned a measly $34,000.
However, that figure was only chump change compared to the reported $1,070,000 Poirier made in the second fight and the $1,021,000 he made in the trilogy fight. Thus, it brings his combined total from the trilogy to $2,125,000 ($2.1m). To date, it remains one of Poirier’s highest payouts. As such, it will only be rivaled when he takes on Justin Gaethje at UFC 291.