Dustin Poirier

Nobody hands you anything at lightweight. Dustin Poirier — "The Diamond" to fight fans — has built a 30-10 record the hard way, one fight at a time since leaving the United States's regional scene.

Volume is the weapon: 5.24 significant strikes a minute on 54% accuracy. Rounds get won on attrition — opponents drown in output long before the final bell. Add the southpaw stance, and the puzzle gets harder still.

He's coming off a loss to Max Holloway. Careers aren't defined by the fall, though; they're defined by the rebound.

At 37, the window is what it is — which tends to make every remaining fight more honest, and more dangerous.