UFC lightweight legend Dustin Poirier has been left dismayed by Joe Rogan’s commentary at UFC 299.
‘The Diamond’, fresh from a stunning knockout victory over Frenchman Benoit Saint-Denis, appeared on The MMA Hour earlier this week. This victory catapulted Dustin Poirier back into the win column, with many having doubted his chances of overcoming the young challenger.
Dustin Poirier Left Baffled By Joe Rogan UFC 299 Commentary
Never one to shy away from hyperbole, Joe Rogan was eager to point out early in the fight that the 35 year old looked ‘tired’. Granted, it had been a taxing opening round for Poirier. St. Denis posed a real threat, securing a body triangle and threatening an armbar to close the first round.
Poirier, against the flow of the contest, went on to land the right hook that led to victory halfway through the second round. ‘The Diamond’s incessant guillotine attempts to that point had many initially questioning where the route to victory lay. Not to be denied, the knockout saw Poirier improve his record to 30-8, proving himself a legitimate contender among the crop of new talent.
Speaking with Ariel Helwani, Dustin Poirier issued a response to the comments made by Rogan during the broadcast. The former interim champion stated:
“I rewatched the fight last night with my wife when we got back to Louisiana. Joe Rogan said I was exhausted, said I was tired like five times. Bro, I do not get tired. I have some of the best cardio in this fight sh*t that we do. Like, I can go 25 minutes, hard, cracking the whole time. I can’t believe he said that … I felt good.”
Via The MMA Hour
Poirier then went on to defend his cardio further:
“But I felt good. I felt like he was going to slow down, you know. That’s what I was hoping for, I thought third or fourth round is when I would really start to like, pull away and break him down. But I got him out of there in the second. I thought I was gonna have to break him down, wear him down a little bit more but I caught him in the middle of a trade when his chin was up and his body wasn’t set for that right hook. The timing of it was just perfect to whip his brain around.”
The Diamond’s Resurgence
With St. Denis dispatched and all doubts over his cardio brushed aside, Poirier will now surely be looking toward his next victim. None of which are perhaps more attractive than reigning lightweight king, Islam Makhachev. The champion took to X to congratulate Poirier, with his manager Abdi Abdelaziz following suit soon after. Abdelaziz correctly addressed that other contenders, such as Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan, are otherwise engaged. This leaves the tantalising prospect of a title shot for Poirier wide open, with a potential June date already being mooted.
What would you do next with Dustin Poirier? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
