Dustin Poirier defeated Conor McGregor twice in a row, giving up a chance at the title to do so. He's also an absolute fan favorite in the UFC and runs an enormous charity that helps to address issues of disaster relief, food insecurity, and health care around his home state of Louisiana.
- Amy Kaplan
Combat Sports Editor
Best fan moment of the year
Everything that surrounded fight week — before, during, and after Poirier's bout with Conor McGregor — was a moment to remember. Everything from the way he responded to McGregor’s trash talk about his wife, to his in-cage dominance of the once “unbeatable” McGregor, to his post-fight interview showing class and poise next to a man unraveling before our very eyes. Poirier is the ultimate definition of the people’s champ.
What emotion defined this fandom this year?
There was a sense of redemption surrounding Poirier this year, not just for himself in winning the rematch, but for every UFC fan desperately wanting to watch the former champ get chipped away. Poirier did that with ease.