- Dustin Poirier shared his thoughts on a potential title fight with Islam Makhachev
- “The Diamond” confided that he has gone through some tough mental health problems after losing to Justin Gaethje
Dustin Poirier doesn’t see any problem with him both mentally and physically in a potential title fight with Islam Makhachev.
Dustin is down for June
Speaking to The MMA Hour, “The Diamond” made it clear that he is all-in if the UFC brass would really consider him for a title fight with Makhachev in June. Poirier added that even though he is currently feeling something wrong with his ribs, it wouldn’t be an issue.
“I haven’t spoken to the UFC but I do think it could happen… I really believed that I was one big win away. One good finish. It doesn’t matter the opponent. I just need to look good. Just with my career in the UFC and how many times I’ve beaten top guys and stuff, I always feel like I’m one big win away from it at any time in my career in the last few years,” Poirier said.
“I didn’t take any damage in this fight,” he continued. “Yeah, I’d be okay with June. I actually went into this fight with a couple injuries from camp. My ribs… Gamrot busted my ribs up like, almost three weeks ago, and it’s been bothering me really bad ever since… I didn’t go to the doctor or anything but something’s going on with my ribs for sure.”
Dustin went through some mental struggles
Poirier also opened up about how he managed to endure the “darkness” following his KO loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 291. With the help of his family and friends, “The Diamond” was able to get back to his feet and eventually return to the win column at UFC 299.
“After the Gaethje fight… the world doesn’t know or people don’t know, people who are close to me know, I went through some real mental struggles man, like, I was going through some stuff and that’s really when I started really practicing mindfulness and setting my intentions and just trying to be grateful for every day,” Poirier admitted.
“A lot of people helped me. My friends, my business partners here in Louisiana, but my wife, really, dude, I’m just very thankful for her,” he continued.
“I try to like, look at things a little bit different you know like, fighting is just something I do, that kind of mindset, because fighting was everything to me. It was my whole life. Like I judged who I was but by fighting. It was the person I am. If I’m not the fighter Dustin, the fighter who am I? And I just kind of like tried to take a step back from that after the Gaethje loss when I was going through all this sh*t. And like it’s just something I do. Fighting is part of my life. It’s been a vehicle to get me and my family where I need to be to set up the foundation and help people. It’s been a vehicle to get things in the right place. But this is just something I do. Life goes on,” he added. “…The last two, two and a half months, I’ve been out of that darkness.”
Poirier has been a longtime top contender in the lightweight division. He is already considered as a legend in the sport and it would be delight for MMA fans to see fight for the title as he heads to the tail-end of his career.
Watch Poirier’s full interview below:
