Dustin Poirier is back – well, sort of.
A former UFC title challenger, Poirier (25-5 MMA, 17-4 UFC) will compete in a grappling match on Feb. 21 against ONE Championship star and jiu-jitsu wizard Garry Tonon.
SubStars Jiu-Jitsu announced the match on Friday in a post on Instagram. Per the promotion’s website, fans can expect to see grappling, MMA, sumo, and wrestling in one event.
“SubStars presents SubStars at The Fillmore. Get ready for the most anticipated grappling event of 2020 right here in Miami Beach, FL! Not the average grappling event, prepare to see a show unlike any other with theatric acrobatic ninjas and samurai fight displays blended with elite grappling and introducing for the first time celebrity sumo. SubStars is showcasing the world’s top talent in MMA, Jiu-Jitsu, Sumo and Wrestling all in one event. Be prepared for an experience to remember!
The event is expected to be held at The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater in Miami.
Poirier hasn’t competed since a UFC 242 submission loss to UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in September. In an interview with MMA Junkie in late January, Poirier revealed he’s been cleared to return to MMA competition. However, the UFC has yet to offer him a return fight.
Poirier told MMA Fighting he plans on donating all of his share of ticket and PPV revenue as well as a portion of his fight purse to The Good Fight Foundation.
As for Tonon (5-0) , the 28-year-old lightweight most recently competed at “ONE Championship: Enter the Dragon” in May. He defeated Yoshiki Nakahara by heel hook just 55 seconds into the opening round.
Check out the official announcement in the post below:
