Former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker will headline tomorrow night’s UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Hooker event. However, before Poirier trades fists with Hooker in the Octagon, an award was given to the former champion in the form of the Forrest Griffin Community Award.
The UFC issued the following on Poirier’s achievement:
DUSTIN POIRIER RECEIVES INAUGURAL FORREST GRIFFIN COMMUNITY AWARD
DUSTIN POIRIER NAMED INAUGURAL RECIPIENT OF FORREST GRIFFIN COMMUNITY AWARD PRESENTED BY TOYO TIRES
UFC today announced that former interim UFC lightweight champion Dustin Poirier has been named the inaugural recipient of the Forrest Griffin Community Award, presented by Toyo Tires. Named in honor of UFC Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin, the award will recognize a UFC athlete for their exceptional volunteer and charity work and the meaningful impact their efforts have on the community.
Announced earlier this year, the Forrest Griffin Community Award is presented annually as part of UFC Honors President’s Choice category, as the award recipient is personally selected by UFC President Dana White. UFC Honors, presented by Toyo Tires is the company's annual awards program recognizing UFC athletes, performances, and moments throughout each year.
As the inaugural recipient of the Forrest Griffin Community Award, Dustin will receive a $25,000 donation to the charity of his choice. All donations are courtesy of Toyo Tires.
“I’m just grateful for the things we have accomplished with the foundation, the way it’s growing and the support and people getting behind it,” Poirier said after being surprised with the award following the UFC Vegas 4 weigh-ins. “It’s amazing that when you do something from the heart, something that means something to you and you do it the right way, all the right things fall into place. These things are forced they are just happening.”
Dustin will be honored for this award later this year during the 2020 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Toyo Tires, which will be streamed live on UFC FIGHT PASS.
Throughout the first two years of the foundation’s existence, the Poiriers have launched a series of initiatives for those in need throughout their hometown of Lafayette and neighboring Acadiana, Louisiana. These programs include annual Thanksgiving food drives, back to school campaigns, and fundraisers to help purchase necessity kits for hundreds of women experiencing homelessness, as well as furniture for local shelters.
Dustin has also utilized his fight-worn UFC Fight Kits, auctioning off his inventory of apparel to raise donations for families of fallen law enforcement officers, and building a local playground for Aaron Hill, a terminally ill seven-year old of Lafayette. Hill, diagnosed with a genetic brain disorder, requested to have a special needs playground built for his friends who attend Prairie Elementary School.
In May 2019, he was awarded with the key to the city of Lafayette by Mayor Joel Robideaux for his work with The Good Fight Foundation and his contributions to the community.
Following his most recent fight in September 2019 against UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in Abu Dhabi, Nurmagomedov and Poirier each raffled off their fight-worn UFC Legacy Series Walkout Jerseys, raising more than $100,000 with a direct match from UFC, totaling $200,000 donated directly to the foundation.
The funds generated from this global auction helped purchase hundreds of car seats, which were donated to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital of Lafayette. Later that year, Poirier and his foundation also partnered with former UFC heavyweight Justin Wren’s “Fight For The Forgotten” organization. As part of this joint partnership, Poirier and Wren were able to use the funds raised and the platform to combat the water crisis in Uganda. During the campaign, they exceeded their fundraising goal of purchasing new water wells, and also secured 43.21 acres of land and a solar powered water well to create a more self-sustainable living environment for the Batwa Pygmy Tribe.
This year, Dustin and his team have stayed active in the community with relief efforts associated with COVID-19 by donating more than 1,000 meals to frontline healthcare workers at local hospitals and clinics.
Dustin also hopes that The Good Fight Foundation can be resource for other athletes looking to pursue charitable work in their communities.
“If they don’t have the stuff to do it, we can run their stuff and we can auction off through The Good Fight and we would love to help them put together things that mean something to them in their local communities,” Poirier said. “I’d love to give this foundation branches to work with as many athletes as possible to see how many people we can help because that is what it is all about.”
Currently ranked no. 3 in the lightweight division, Dustin is a veteran of 32 fights and has compiled a record of 25-6, 1 NC (18-6, 1 NC UFC) while competing in both the featherweight and lightweight divisions since his debut in 2009.
During his tenure inside the Octagon, Dustin has become a notable fan favorite by defeating former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway (2), former UFC lightweight champions Eddie Alvarez and Anthony Pettis, as well as winner of season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter Diego Brandao and winner of season 12 of The Ultimate Fighter Jonathan Brookins.
For more information regarding The Good Fight Foundation, please visit TheGoodFightGroup.com.
