‘You Have to be a Thinking Man, Not Just a Brute’- Dustin Poirier Not Impressed with Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler War

UFC lightweight star Dustin Poirier spoke to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour in the lead-up to his title fight at UFC 269. ‘The Diamond’ is finally ready for his second crack at undisputed gold after an unsuccessful attempt against Khabib Nurmagomedov. Poirier believes he has hit his stride and now possesses all the tools to defeat Charles Oliveira.

Before weighing in on his upcoming bout, Poirier was asked to opine on the recent lightweight clash between Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler. Both men put on a ‘Fight of the Year’ performance at UFC 269 and there was no shortage of blood and guts. While the fight was certainly entertaining, Poirier feels that such a defensively irresponsible performance is not becoming of a championship-level fighter.

This fight is 𝑨𝑺 𝑨𝑫𝑽𝑬𝑹𝑻𝑰𝑺𝑬𝑫

[ #UFC268 | The Main Card is LIVE on ESPN+ PPV: https://t.co/xRVlqJBhNX ] pic.twitter.com/cV1dBb93aQ

— UFC (@ufc) November 7, 2021

“This is bad for you, is what I’m thinking. Those guys are crazy man for taking damage like that. I think I beat both those guys if they fight me the way they fought that night, I beat both those guys.”

“You have to tighten it up, you have to be more technical. You have to be a thinking man, not just a brute in there, not just a wrecking ball. Or, you go in there and get matador’ed.”

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Dustin Poirier: Does he have the style to beat ‘Do Bronx’

Poirier has picked up a lot of steam after the incredible year he has had thus far. He is 2-0 this year with both his wins coming by way of TKO over Conor McGregor. Not to mention, he’s looked incredibly crisp in both the stand-up as well as the grappling realm.

MMA – UFC264 – Dustin Poirier v Conor McGregor – T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, United States – July 10, 2021 Conor McGregor in action against Dustin Poirier REUTERS/Steve Marcus

‘The Diamond’ will favor his skill set on the feet against Oliveira, who has folded to volume striking in the past. Not to mention Poirier’s close-range boxing packs a serious punch too. However, going to the ground with ‘Do Bronx’ is likely to end poorly, given his track record in the UFC alone.

Fans are certainly in for a treat as Charles Oliveira aims to solidify his place as an elite champion. Not to mention, a win for Poirier could easily crown him as the ‘2021 Fight of the Year’

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