WWE champion Cody Rhodes knows a thing or two about finishing a story, and he supports former interim lightweight UFC champion Dustin Poirier attempting to do the same at UFC 302.
Like Poirier in the UFC, Rhodes struggled to navigate his way to the top of the WWE. The son of the legendary Dusty Rhodes didn’t get it done in his first run in the WWE. He decided to leave, wrestle all over the globe, and help start a rival company, AEW. In the process, his name became bigger than it ever was before, eventually leading to a triumphant return to the WWE at WrestleMania 38 in Dallas.
A year later, Rhodes would get his shot at the most coveted title in the WWE, the Universal Championship, which was held by Roman Reigns. At WrestleMania 39 under the bright lights of Los Angeles, Rhodes main-evented against Reigns, promising to “finish the story.” However, Reigns maintained his position at the top, and Rhodes would go on another yearlong campaign filled with twists and turns to earn another crack at Reigns.
Much like Rhodes, Poirier has grown his name exponentially over the years but has struggled to reach the pinnacle of the UFC by becoming an undisputed champion.
“The Diamond” has become an interim UFC champion, but that wasn’t the goal. In his attempt to unify the title against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242, he came up short. Four fights later against Charles Oliveira, Poirier got his second chance, but once again, failed to secure gold.
In the UFC 302 main event against Islam Makhachev, Poirier gets his third shot. It could very well be his last, too. Perhaps it’s now or never for Poirier to “finish his story.”
Rhodes understands Poirier’s position. It was his last shot at the top prize of the WWE at WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia in a rematch with Reigns under rules that greatly compromised his chances of winning. However, “The American Nightmare” achieved his dream by overcoming the odds to defeat Reigns, and still holds the crown today.
Poirier has a tall task ahead of him. Will he “finish the story?”
In the latest reminder of the partnership with WWE and UFC under the TKO umbrella, Rhodes cut an inspirational promo for Poirier, encouraging him to get the job done against Makhachev.
Check it out in the video below (via Facebook):
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.
