In April 2015, less than seven months after the loss to McGregor, Poirier returned to the lightweight division and knocked out Diego Ferreira in less than four minutes. Just like that, his most crushing defeat was a thing of the past.
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“Life goes on, you live and learn,” he said. “I’m sure that was a learning experience I had to go through. But I didn’t have a choice. It made me into the guy and into the fighter, the father, the person that I am now. That’s what life’s about – evolving and learning from mistakes. And I’ve made a lot of them.”
Not many in the Octagon, though. Since the first McGregor bout, Poirier has gone 10-2 with 1 NC. That stretch includes a second victory over Max Holloway that earned him the interim lightweight title in 2019, eight post-fight bonuses, and victories over the likes of Jim Miller, Anthony Pettis, Justin Gaethje, Eddie Alvarez and Dan Hooker. Anyone who thinks he’s the same fighter he was in 2014 just isn’t paying attention.
