First, I need to write an original article for the keyword "Dustin Poirier Ranking History". The article should be 600 to 900 words, with natural headings, and avoid unsupported claims. I must not mention that it was AI-generated. I'll use the provided context only if relevant, but it seems like fragmented text from various sources, so I'll focus on the keyword. The context includes phrases like "Too often have we read", "Welcome to the Moment Of Mastery!", "The Deep Waters crew (Din Thomas, Jorge Masvidal,", "Dustin Poirier", etc. However, I should primarily base the article on the keyword and general knowledge about Dustin Poirier's ranking history, without making unsupported claims. I'll structure the article naturally with headings. Since it's about ranking history, I can cover his journey through the UFC rankings, key fights, and milestones. I'll use safe HTML tags as instructed: h2, h3, p, ul, ol, li, strong, and em. Outline: - Introduction: Briefly introduce Dustin Poirier and his ranking history. - Early Career and Rise: From his UFC debut to notable fights. - Key Fights and Ranking Fluctuations: Discuss specific bouts that affected his rankings. - Title Contention and Interim Title: His path to title shots. - Current Status: Where he stands now in rankings. - Conclusion: Summarize his ranking history. I'll ensure the article is factual and references his ranking changes based on official UFC rankings outcomes. Avoid speculation. Now, draft the article. **Introduction** Dustin Poirier's journey through the UFC lightweight division is a story of resilience and skill. His ranking history reflects a career marked by high-stakes battles and notable achievements. From his early days as a featherweight to becoming a top contender in the lightweight ranks, Poirier's placement in the UFC rankings has fluctuated with each fight. **Early Career and Rise Through the Ranks** Poirier began his UFC career in 2011 at featherweight. He quickly made an impact with wins over Josh Grispi and Max Holloway (before Holloway's title reign). These victories propelled him into the top 15 of the featherweight rankings. However, a loss to Chan Sung Jung in 2012 slowed his momentum. Poirier then moved up to lightweight in 2015, which marked a turning point in his career. In the lightweight division, Poirier found new success. He went on a winning streak, including victories over Diego Ferreira and Bobby Green, which pushed him into the lightweight rankings. His aggressive style and improved boxing made him a fan favorite. **Key Fights and Ranking Fluctuations** Poirier's ranking history is defined by several key fights that saw his position rise and fall. In 2016, he faced Michael Johnson and won, but the fight was later overturned to a no-contest due to Johnson's anti-doping violation. This affected his ranking temporarily. A significant uplift came in 2017 when he defeated Anthony Pettis, then a former title contender. This win placed him firmly in the top five of the lightweight rankings. However, a loss to Eddie Alvarez in the same year dropped him back down. In 2018, Poirier started a new winning streak with victories over Justin Gaethje and Al Iaquinta. The Gaethje win, in particular, was a "Fight of the Night" and showcased his durability. This streak led to an interim title fight against Max Holloway in 2019. **Title Contention and Interim Title** At UFC 236 in 2019, Poirier faced Max Holloway for the interim lightweight title. Poirier won by unanimous decision, earning the interim belt and securing the number one contender spot in the rankings. This was the highest ranking in his career up to that point. Following this, he challenged Khabib Nurmagomedov for the undisputed lightweight title at UFC 242 in 2019. Poirier lost by submission in the third round, which dropped his ranking from the top spot to around the top five. **Recent Performance and Current Ranking** After the loss to Khabib, Poirier rebounded with wins over Dan Hooker in 2020 and Conor McGregor in 2021. The McGregor win was a significant