Heading into UFC on ESPN 12 this weekend, where he faces Dan “The Hangman” Hooker, Dustin Poirier is already a winner.
On Friday, the UFC announced that Poirier is the inaugural recipient of the promotion’s Forrest Griffin Community Award. The newly launched honor will be handed out each year to UFC athletes for exceptional volunteer and charity work.
The lightweight has become known for his work outside the octagon in recent years, through his charitable foundation, The Good Fight Foundation.
In a press release, UFC President Dana White stated that “Dustin is a great athlete, but more importantly he’s a great human being,” adding that “he is a kid who works hard and is passionate about giving back to not only his community, but to those who are less fortunate.”
As part of the award, Poirier will receive a $25,000 donation on behalf of TOYO Tires to a charity of his choosing.
Ahead of UFC on ESPN 12, Poirier told Cageside Press during the card’s media day of numerous charitable efforts he has lined up, including auctioning off his fight kit (something he has routinely done), picking up the tab for fight fans at a local Lafayette, LA eatery, and even a Unity 5K run.
Historically, Poirier and his foundation has had a playground built on behalf of a terminally ill child, donated more than 1,000 meals to frontline healthcare workers at local hospitals and clinics, raised donations for families of fallen law enforcement officers, and partnered with fellow MMA athlete Justin Wren’s “Fight For The Forgotten” organization.
