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#4 Dustin Poirier was 'head over heels' with fighting
After dropping out of school, Dustin Poirier had no ambition and nothing to look forward to except fighting. He used to stay at home, smoke weed and drink with his friends. However, all that was to change by the time he reached his 18th birthday. Poirier said:
"I was head over heels with combat. I went to sleep thinking about it. I woke up thinking about it. I worked all day thinking about it. It was who I was. I would have cut anybody off to continue. I would have done whatever it took to continue."
Ever since he was in middle school, Dustin Poirier had been in love with fighting. The idea excited him, so after turning 18, he committed himself to combat and started spending all of his days at the gym.
When Poirier started training, MMA was not a well-known sport and he weighed 200 lbs. Regardless, he trained in boxing and jiu-jitsu because he loved it. He said:
"When I'm passionate about something, I'm all the way in it. So when I found that I can get training and possibly become a professional fighter, or just even the thought of fighting somebody, I was excited about. It wasn't even about money when I started. It was just for the love of fight, and I found that, and I put everything into it. I became in love, I just became infatuated.. I became a student of the game."
Within six months of starting his training, Dustin Poirier booked his first MMA fight.
#3 Loss against Conor McGregor changed Dustin Poirier's life
Dustin Poirier started his MMA career in 2009 and was 16-3 by the time he faced Conor McGregor in 2014. The MMA sensation from Ireland was the first person to really get under Poirier's skin. The night he faced McGregor will always be remembered by him as an important event in his life.
Dustin Poirier felt he was born to fight and was having an excellent run in his MMA career. Suddenly, he met a rival who not only insulted Poirier but also handed him the first knockout of his career. 'The Diamond' was broken.
The fight was key for Dustin Poirier, and he was more angry than ever at UFC 178. He said after the fight:
"(The) Conor fight was the turning point. I remember I was backstage getting ready to walk out, and I saw him and he threw this smile and pointed at me. I don’t know why, but it really got to me, man. It really messed with my head. I mean I’m about to go out and fight this dude, and he’s back there smiling at me? After that fight I knew I had to find a different way to use my emotion."
The loss against Conor McGregor forced Dustin Poirier to make some changes. He immediately moved up to the UFC lightweight division and started picking up wins against veterans like Joe Duffy and Bobby Green. Five years later, in 2019, 'The Diamond' proved himself by defeating Max Holloway and winning the interim UFC lightweight championship.
And when Conor McGregor arrived one more time in Dustin Poirier's path, at UFC 257, The Diamond avenged his earlier loss via TKO.
Also Read: Dustin Poirier explains why Conor McGregor will be a 'dangerous man' during their UFC 264 fight.
