Dustin Poirier has beaten Max Holloway not once, but twice, Conor McGregor as many times again and, all up, earned six wins over four separate fellas who, at one time or another, have owned the tag of UFC champ.

Yet when Diamond bested them all … well, none of those men held an undisputed strap.

Which is why Sunday, this undeniable American fight favourite is now planning to “finish the story” in spectacular fashion on a stacked UFC 302 card – by putting a Dagestani monster to sleep.

Better, Poirier has gone and warned as much too during a tense Friday face off with UFC lightweight king Islam Makhachev – a moment that got so heated security were eventually forced to swarm in and separate the headliners.

UFC 302: MAKHACHEV VS POIRIER | SUN 2 JUNE 12PM AEST | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel is the exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View.

“I’m going to knock you out,” Poirier warned as the pair stood just inches apart.

“How?” Makhachev replied, and in a tone suggesting he really wanted to know how this $5.50 TAB outsider thought he was getting it done.

“Sleep,” Poirier replied, doubling down. “I’m going to sleep you”.

But still the challenger wasn’t finished.

“You’re going to be diving for my legs, praying,” he continued, goading his famed wrasslin’ rival. “You’re going to be laying and praying, that’s what you’re going to be doing.”

And then finally, just to put an exclamation point on proceedings, Poirier added: “Go to sleep, motherf***er”.

At which point, that signature wry smile disappeared from the face of champ who is not only on a tear of 13 straight, or paying just $1.15 with bookies, but now looking to earn a third straight title defence – having twice bested Australia’s Alexander Volkanovski.

“Don’t say motherf***er to me,” Makhachev shot back.

“Go to sleep, motherf***er,” Poirier replied.

“Don’t say motherf***er,” the champ repeated again, this time as a warning.

A moment that then saw the two stars engaged in a tense exchange where the champ appeared to shout something about being disrespected.

“I have respect for you, brother,” Poirier replied. “But don’t get in my face like that … we’re going to fight.”

Aren’t they what?

In what shapes as one of the most anticipated cards of 2024, Makhachev is looking to tie the UFC’s all-time record for consecutive lightweight title defenses when he throws down against Poirier inside the Prudential Center, Newark.

Yet the fighter dubbed ‘Diamond’, meanwhile, is looking for that fairytale finish gifted to so few men in sport generally, and the fight game specifically.

Having already fallen short in title fights against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira, the 35-year-old Louisiana native is now taking what will be his third – and almost certainly last — shot at UFC gold.

“Finishing the story,” is how he put it this week, referencing a career that has already seen him earn wins over the likes of McGregor, Dan Hooker, Justin Gaethje, Anthony Pettis, Eddie Alvarez, even that famed Holloway double – the second of which was for the interim lightweight strap.

Of course, there are plenty of intriguing subplots, too.

Like will Poirier once again attempt a jumping guillotine choke?

How long will Makhachev stay standing?

And what good luck, if any, will come from the UFC gifting Poirier a pair of signature floral shorts for fight night?

“I can definitely win this fight,” the American said this week in response to Makhachev’s claim that, given his recent talk of impending retirement, he had no confidence of even winning Sunday’s showdown.

“If I touch his chin, he’ll go down, and he’ll find out.

“Maybe that’s something he doesn’t need to believe.

“Maybe he needs to be positive and be confident walking into this, which he should be.

“But if you don’t think I have a chance to win, you’re lying to yourself.”

Soon after, Poirier continued: “Over the years I’ve learned (that) the media, my opponents, their camps, and the critics don’t matter, bro.

“It’s in my hands.

“I’m the only guy who has the opportunity to make this happen … I’m the guy in the driver’s seat.

“All these other guys talking are passengers, or in the back seat.

“I steer where this goes.”

UFC 302: MAKHACHEV VS POIRIER | SUN 2 JUNE 12PM AEST | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel is the exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View.

STRICKLAND KEEN FOR AUSSIE RETURN

Amid all the noise that has been this, and to be fair, every Sean Strickland fight week, the one obvious takeaway for Australian fight fans is this – the polarising American is keen to throw hands Down Under again.

It was in Australia last September where Strickland shocked the world, upsetting UFC middleweight king Israel Adesanya in a lopsided title triumph at UFC 293 in Sydney.

While he would then lose the strap just one fight later, against South Africa’s Dricus du Plesis, the former champ says he is now readying to go get his gold back – starting with a win over Brazilian Paulo Costa in Sunday’s co-main.

Better, Strickland added he would happily then turn around and fight again three months later in Australia’s next hyped UFC 305 event, which is set to take place on August 18 inside the RAC Arena, Perth.

While DDP and Adesanya are expected to top that card, Strickland said he is keen to be parachuted in should either man opt out, while his coach Eric Nicksick also told Submission Radio his charge could be the standby fighter.

Asked about even potentially headlining himself against DDP at this week’s press conference, Strickland replied: “F*** man, yeah, let’s do it.

“After I beat Costa, send him my way, we’ll get it f…ing done.

“You know the s****y thing is, he (DDP) knows he lost, so do the f***ing right thing.

“I gotta beat this man (points to Costa) and I’m gunna beat this man, then we’ll f***ing move on to what is next”.

Australia’s Robert Whittaker, meanwhile, can also put himself into title contention when he throws down against fellow contender Khamzat Chimaev in Saudi Arabia in June.

“That’s going to be a good fight,” Strickland told Australia’s Main Event this week.

“I think Whittaker has the tools to win if he is at his best but, you know, we’ll f***ing find out.

“And I don’t mind being patient.

“I’ll beat Costa, be patient … but (a DDP rematch) needs to happen.

“I want to knock out Costa impressively and fight for the belt again.”

Asked about Strickland turning around for UFC 305, Coach Nicksick told Submission Radio: “Whatever the bosses want to do.

“If they want us to do it we’re in.

“And that opportunity happens.

“We’ve seen people step in as the back up, so make yourself available.

“For Sean, it’s a long trip, it’s a weight cut, it’s this, it’s that so we will see what he decides on, but we’ve got one more step ahead of us first”.

Speaking with Main Event meanwhile, Costa predicted Whittaker will be too strong for Chimaev and suggested that fight, along with his own Sunday, would “say a lot” about who should be challenging for UFC gold next.

“Anyone who gets a great performance, a vicious knockout is going to be one step forward,” he said. “Put them in front of the others”.

Costa also suggests his own fight against Strickland will not go the slated five rounds.

“I’ve trained to hurt him,” he said” So 25 minutes is too long to survive.

“I think this fight is by stoppage”.

AUSSIE READY FOR TOP FIVE RUN

Jake Matthews plans to kickstart a run back towards UFC welterweight title contention when he faces American Phil Rowe on the UFC 302 undercard in Newark this Sunday.

One of the longest-serving Aussies on the UFC roster, Matthews also told reporters in the US this week that he is now at peace with “just bashing someone” – and plans to do exactly that against Rowe.

“I was supposed to be a PE teacher or an electrician,” Matthews laughed at this week’s media day when quizzed on an already stacked career.

“I wasn’t supposed to be flying around the world, fighting in the biggest promotion in the world.

“But I’ve done well and I’ve come to accept that this is what I’m supposed to do.

“I was put on this earth to be a fighter and I’ve fallen in love with fighting and, as bad as it sounds, just bashing someone.

“That’s the goal in each fight and if I go out and achieve that, I win.”

UFC 302: MAKHACHEV VS POIRIER | SUN 2 JUNE 12PM AEST | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. Main Event on Kayo Sports and Foxtel is the exclusive home of UFC Pay-Per-View.

UFC 302 – Main Card (12pm AEST, PPV)

Islam Makhachev v Dustin Poirier – UFC lightweight title

Sean Strickland v Paulo Costa (middleweight)

Kevin Holland v Michał Oleksiejczuk (middleweight)

Niko Price v Alex Morono (welterweight)

Randy Brown v Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (welterweight)

UFC 302 — Preliminary Card

César Almeida v Roman Kopylov (middleweight)

Jailton Almeida v Alexander Romanov (heavyweight)

Grant Dawson v Joe Solecki (lightweight)

Philip Rowe v Jake Matthews (welterweight)

UFC 302 — Early Prelims

Mickey Gall v Bassil Hafez (welterweight)

Ailín Pérez v Joselyne Edwards (women’s bantamweight)

Mitch Raposo v André Lima (flyweight)