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Andreas Hale, ESPN
Dustin Poirier is still deciding whether he will continue his MMA career following his fifth-round submission loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 302. But given his list of injuries suffered in a grueling lightweight championship fight, it appears that he’ll be spending a decent amount of time on the mend.
“Nose is broken bad, rib is broken and my ACL is partially torn,” Poirier revealed on X on Wednesday, chalking his injuries up to “Fight Life.”
Although Poirier, 35, fell short in his third crack at undisputed UFC gold, he put forth a valiant effort and demonstrated exceptional resiliency in the face of adversity against the UFC’s #1 pound-for-pound fighter. He survived multiple submission attempts, fought off a series of takedowns and battled for nearly 25 minutes before succumbing to a late D’arce choke in the final round.
Following the fight, Poirier told reporters that he “might have messed up” his ACL defending a takedown in the third or fourth round of the fight but fought through it. He also stated that his nose was “shattered” and later confirmed it on X with an x-ray of his nose and the caption “Nosey O’Donnell.” Poirier said that an accidental headbutt caused the nose break in the fight.
As for the rib, Poirier’s friend and coach Yves Edwards appeared on “MMA Today” and said that Poirier’s preparations were limited heading into the fight as he was dealing with a rib injury during the final weeks of training. It’s not known how serious the rib injury was and if it was exasperated during the fight.
Poirier received an indefinite suspension from the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board because of the severity of the knee and nose injuries. It is not known if he will need surgery or how long he will be sidelined.