UFC 299 may be past us but there is still a lot to talk about from the event. One of the biggest wins of the night went to Dustin Poirier, who emerged victorious against Benoit Saint Denis. However, the fight has raised a lot of talking points regarding Poirier’s fighting style.
For the most part, long-time viewers will know that ‘The Diamond’ is a boxing-heavy brawler that leaves it all on the line every time he fights. However, for his fight against Sain Denis at UFC 299, he seemingly went for a different approach which very nearly backfired. As pointed out and discussed by many, Poirier made an absurd amount of guillotine choke attempts during the fight.
THE DIAMOND GETS THE KO IN ROUND 2 😤#UFC299 | @DustinPoirier pic.twitter.com/DouV3eQeKD
— UFC (@ufc) March 10, 2024
Despite his corner advising him against it, the Louisiana native still kept going for it, which in hindsight, he could have been made to pay for, by a grappler like Saint Denis. All things considered, things eventually worked out for Dustin as he managed to connect with the Frenchman’s chin in Round 2, knocking him out.
Dustin Poirier’s history of jumping for guillotine chokes
With that said, many may not know that this is hardly the first time Dustin Poirier has gone for a guillotine choke. Interestingly, Poirier has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu under Tim Credeur, meaning that he is more than proficient and experienced in attempting and executing such chokes. However, owing to his striking prowess, he has not needed to utilize it thus far.
Previously, Poirier took on Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242. One of the best ever to do it, Khabib was considered untouchable by many. However, the Louisiana native was looking to unify the title and claim the undisputed status for himself. As the fight went on, Poirier found himself swarmed by takedowns and felt the suffocating pressure that Khabib was known for.
Surprisingly, in an attempt to counter a takedown, Dustin Poirier attempted a guillotine choke in Round 3. Unfortunately, it was not too deep as Khabib managed to pop his head out after a slight struggle. To make matters worse, ‘The Eagle’ would then reverse his position, taking his opponent with a rear naked choke. With it being deeper than the previous attempts, Poirier had no choice but to tap out.
Dustin Poirier jokes about submitting Islam Makhachev
Notably, Dustin Poirier found himself in a similar situation against Benoit Saint Denis, who took his back after a failed guillotine attempt. However, in this instance, he managed to calm his nerves and make his way out of the position. Despite his strategy not bearing any fruit, it was confusing to see why Dustin kept attempting it.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani in an interview the day after the fight Dustin Poirier revealed:
“I don’t know Ariel, I need to stop, but I will never! I hit it a lot (in practice), I put people unconscious, never in a fight though”. Further, Dustin joked, “Maybe I’ll submit Islam (Makhachev) with it (laughs).” Revealing more about his mantra with the move, he said, “Don’t be silly, jump the gilly”.
Following his latest win against BSD, there is a lot of talk about a potential fight against Islam Makhahchev in June. While both parties are on board and want to make it happen, the fans believe that Dustin has not yet made a case for himself. After all, he only recently got sent to the shadow realm with a head kick from Justin Gaethje. Considering there is no other exciting alternative, a fight while unlikely, could somehow pan out later this year.