Dustin Poirier, a top-ranked UFC lightweight contender, will be crossing over to submission grappling to take on Jiu-Jitsu ace Garry Tonon. The SubStars submission-only grappling event is scheduled for Feb. 21 in Miami at The Fillmore Miami Beach’s Jackie Gleason Theater.
Poirier announced on Twitter Friday that he signed the contract to compete with Tonon. There’s something extra attached for “The Diamond,” however. His match will directly benefit his charity, The Good Fight Foundation. The foundation’s next goal is to raise money for a women’s and children’s hospital in Poirier’s hometown of Lafayette, LA. The funds will help the hospital attain car seats for mothers in need.
Grappling For a Cause
“It has been brought to our attention that six to eight times a month, [the hospital] encounters an issue where mothers are unable to afford a car seat to leave the hospital with their infants upon discharge,” the foundation wrote in a statement. “TGF Foundation would like to help those families in need and put their minds at ease with getting their newborns home safe and secure.”
The goal is to supply the hospital with a year’s worth of highly-rated safe car seats.
Poirier said 100 percent of his ticket sales and online PPV sales will go to charity, as well as a portion of his purse. You can directly donate to The Good Fight Foundation here.
The SubStars website has ticket and PPV information.
Porier is the former UFC interim lightweight champion. He lost his last bout to lightweight kingpin Khabib Nurmagomedov, but has victories over Max Holloway, Eddie Alvarez, Justin Gaethje, Anthony Pettis, Jim Miller and Diego Ferreira, among others.
Tonon transitioned to MMA in March 2018, where he competes for ONE Championship. “The Lion Killer” is 5-0 in the sport, but is best known for his work on the grappling scene. Tonon last competed in MMA last May. Three of his five wins have come via submission, and his other two via ground and pound.
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