Dustin Poirier is always looking to jump guillotine to try to submit his opponent, but “Diamond” has actually never secured one of these finishes in his entire combat career. Reigning UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is looking to extend that streak when the two meet at UFC 302 next month in Newark, New Jersey.
While Poirier is one of the best strikers at 155 pounds today, the perennial contender is a sucker for a tight guillotine. In fact, despite his corner advising against it, Poirier attempted multiple guillotine chokes in his most recent fight against Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 299 this past March. Poirier was unable to secure any of his attempts, but ultimately found a brutal knockout finish once the action returned to the feet.
Ahead of what is expected to be his last shot at UFC lightweight gold, fight fans are urging Poirier against the guillotine. That’s because he’s facing one of the best grapplers in the history of the division and jumping guillotine on Makhachev is almost like signing your life over. The same thing happened when Poirier fought Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight strap at UFC 242 back in 2019. “Diamond” tried to catch Khabib in a guillotine, but tired himself out and was ultimately submitted later in the fight.
According to Makhachev, who as we know is Khabib’s star pupil, Nurmagomedov allowed Poirier to catch the guillotine in effort to wear him down.
Islam Makhachev claims that Khabib pre-planned Dustin’s guillotine to tire him out.
“Before the fight, Khabib told me: Catch me in guillotine, I will give him my neck and make him tired.”
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“Before the fight, Khabib told me: Catch me in guillotine, I will give him my neck and make him tired,” said Makhachev during a recent appearance on Good Guy / Bad Guy.
Makhachev, who has won his last 13 trips to the Octagon, is widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport today. The UFC lightweight champion is undoubtedly the best grappler at 155 pounds since Nurmagomedov retired back in 2020. He’s ultimately advising Poirier against a guillotine choke attempt at UFC 302, but believes “Diamond” will still try it and spell his own demise.
“We will start and I will try to take him down,” Makhachev told Yahoo Sports. “He will try to get me in a guillotine (choke). I will defend the guillotine. I will give him a couple punches. He will give his back, then I will finish.”
“One day maybe, I hope (Poirier) will finish his guillotine on someone,” added Makhachev. “But it’s not going to be me.”
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