Dustin Poirier wants to take a scalp this weekend. That’s according to his head coach, Mike Brown, who discussed Poirier’s killer mentality in an interview with MMAFighting. Brown cited Poirier’s incredible gas tank and prodigious, dominant striking ability as major advantages for “The Diamond” over Michael Chandler.
“Dustin comes to fight every time. Every time it’s going to be crazy exciting, you’re going to be biting your nails. He gets in the heat, he gets in it quick. I like when he slows things down but I don’t think he’s got it in him.
Head Coach on Poirier’s Killer Mentality: “Every bone in his body says kill, kill, kill”
Every bone in his body says kill, kill, kill and he’s in there to take the guy out as quick as you can.” Brown continued, pointing out how much Poirier has matured and improved over the years.
“He’s matured tremendously. He’s much better when he takes his time. He also has tremendous conditioning, so he’s not going to slow down. A lot of the time, the longer it plays out, the better it is for him. I mean no doubt it, he has the ability to get the guy out of there quick and early. He has that ability, but I think he’s got so much skill, it doesn’t make sense to go in there and destroy the guy so quick.
It’s better to be strategic, take your time and chip away, pick the guy apart and take him out in the later minutes or the later rounds than just getting into a one-minute shootout, which he has the ability to do.”
Poirier, he says, is “hungrier than ever” following his failed title bid against Charles Oliveira. “Honestly, I think he’s hungrier than ever.
I think a lot of times it’s usually after a loss is when a guy is most hungry, especially a guy of Dustin’s caliber. Sometimes on a big streak, people become complacent but I think this is the type of thing that motivates a guy like Dustin. If maybe he’s got a few wins in a row, or he’s on a streak, he’s more relaxed, but when you have that taste in your mouth of defeat, nothing is more motivating than that.
It’s cliché, they say you learn a lot more from your losses than your wins, but it’s very true. I think it’s also very motivating. It drives you to train harder. To be more prepared and to do the best you can to not have that feeling ever happen again.”
Will Dustin Poirier return to winning ways at UFC 281? Let us know in the comments.
