UFC 269: Dustin Poirier to Donate 20K to Charles Oliveira’s Hometown Following Loss

Las Vegas, NV — There’s losing with grace, and then there’s Dustin Poirier.

Poirier came up short against Charles Oliveira in the UFC 269 main event, submitted in the third round of their lightweight title fight. Yet despite the loss, Poirier could be heard on camera immediately following the fight pledging $20,000 to a charity of Oliveira’s choosing.

Backstage at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, “Diamond” shed some insight into the incredibly gracious move.

“I saw a video this week of him [Oliveira] showing where he grew up, and where is mom cooked dinner for him. I think it was an old video. And saw some of the sites where he grew up and how little he had,” Poirier recalled. “It came to me this week, I thought, I was going to let him know, win lose or draw, talk to him after and let him know that me and The Good Fight Foundation would donate $20,000 to his city in Brazil, and put the money to where ever they think it needs to be.”

“Obviously he knows, he’s a good guy and he knows where the money will go the furthest. So that’s what we’re going to do.”

Poirier is no stranger to charitable efforts. His Good Fight Foundation has helped a number of causes, everything from building playgrounds for disadvantaged youth, to buying meals for medical workers during the pandemic.

Last year, Poirier was named the inaugural winner of the Forrest Griffin Community Award, an honor handed out each year to UFC athletes for exceptional volunteer and charity work.

Of course, despite the charitable gesture, Saturday’s loss still stung for Dustin Poirier. It marks the Louisiana fighter’s second submission loss in a world title fight. The first came against Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2019.

“It sucks, man. Worked hard to get back here, to fight for another world title. Got choked out again,” admitted an emotional Poirier. “I’m just heartbroken, really.”

As to his future, and a possible move to welterweight, Poirier noted that “I think there’s fights at 55 and welterweight still for me. I just don’t even want to think about who or what’s next. It’s been a crazy year for me. I just want to go home with my family. I’m healthy, they’re healthy. Like I said man, I’m not a stranger to this kind of position. Nobody wants to be used to losing, but I”m used to learning. It is what is is, it’s the fight game.”

“I’m going to continue to do what I do: be a father, try to be a beacon of light. Keep grinding.”

Watch the full UFC 269 post-fight press conference with Dustin Poirier above. More coverage from the event can be found below.