Dustin Poirier once again will use his platform of a big UFC fight to benefit the less fortunate.
Poirier (28-7 MMA, 20-6 UFC), a former interim UFC lightweight champion, is set to return to the octagon after 11 months when he meets Michael Chandler in the featured bout at UFC 281, which takes place Nov. 11 at Madison Square Garden in New York. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
Over the past several years, Poirier and The Good Fight Foundation have set up charitable goals before and after his fights. He frequently has auctioned his fight-worn gear and donated the proceeds to a cause close to him, and that trend continues for his UFC 281 fight.
Poirier and The Good Fight Foundation will supply 500 portions of food at its 2nd Annual Thanksgiving Family Meal Pick Up in Lafayette, La., which will include one ham, a can of yams, a can of green beans, bread rolls and an aluminum pan for preparation. The items will be supplied on a first-come, first-served basis.
Additionally, The Good Fight Foundation has teamed with The Hub Lafayette, which provides housing for families in need of shelter, to provide Christmas gifts for those in need. Once Poirier’s fight is complete, he will auction his gear with the proceeds being pushed toward supplying more items for the Christmas drive.
Poirier has used his fight career to help elevate The Good Fight Foundation. He’s attached charity goals to each of his fights since its formation, with his philanthropic efforts including building water wells to repair a ruined water supply at an orphanage and school in Uganda, building a playground for special needs children, supplying backpacks for more than 500 schoolchildren, providing transportation and tutoring for struggling youth through The Boys & Girls Club of Acadiana, and more.
Poirier’s efforts have not gone unnoticed in the MMA community. In September 2021, Poirier was honored at the UFC Hall of Fame ceremony with the inaugural “Forrest Griffin Community Award” to acknowledge his work.
More information on Poirier’s past and future charitable acts can be found at TheGoodFightGroup.com.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.
Dustin Poirier’s UFC 281 charity goal provides Thanksgiving meals, Christmas gifts for those in need