Poirier sustained broken rib, partially torn ACL in UFC 302 loss

Dustin Poirier sustained significant injuries in a thrilling fight against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 in Newark, New Jersey last weekend.

Makhachev successfully retained the 155-pound division title after submitting Poirier using a D'arce choke with 2:42 remaining in the fifth round. The latter admitted that he lost consciousness shortly after tapping out.

The 35-year-old Poirier revealed on Wednesday in a post on X that he sustained a broken nose, broken rib, and a partially torn ACL in the bout.

Poirier was already limited entering the fight against the Russian lightweight champion: His friend and coach at American Top Team, Yves Edwards, shared that the fighter hurt his ribs two weeks before the fight.

"I know Makhachev was also not 100 percent, nobody goes into a fight 100 percent, but (Poirier) hurt his ribs two weeks before the fight and hadn't wrestled or grappled for two-and-a-half weeks," Edwards said on "MMA Hour," according to MMA Fighting's Drake Riggs. "I probably shouldn't (say that), but to me, it's so impressive against that guy."

Edwards added that Poirier also went into his fight against Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299 in March with ailing ribs, though "The Diamond" still scored a second-round knockout over the French fighter. Edwards didn't confirm whether Poirier's injury was in the same area as the one he sustained ahead of his fight with Makhachev.

Despite coming up short in his bid to be the undisputed lightweight champion, Poirier proved he's still up to the challenge in his 40th fight. The Louisiana native is leaving the door open to a return to the Octagon but has also publicly pondered retirement.

"It's just, like, if I do fight again, what am I fighting for? Just to fight? I've done that 50 times," Poirier said during his UFC 302 postfight interview. "I don't know. I got a little girl I love. I gotta see. I think this could be it, honestly."