JRE MMA Show #176 with Dustin Poirier
In a Nutshell
Dustin Poirier, post-retirement at 37 after 50+ fights, reflects on MMA's brutal weight cuts (advocating more classes to reduce dangers like 40-50 lb dehydration), rampant early PED use (TRT boosting durability in fighters like Alistair Overeem), and technique evolutions (calf kicks causing compartment syndrome, as in his Conor McGregor win). He praises legends like Cain Velasquez, Eve Edwards, and Charles Oliveira, critiques heavyweight gaps, fighter pay (UFC model vs. NFL/NBA shares), and post-career identity struggles, while sharing recovery insights (peptides like BPC-157, stem cells) and businesses like his Louisiana hot sauce. Core advice: extreme fight discipline transfers to excelling anywhere, but retire timely to preserve health amid overtraining and injury risks.
These notes were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
Dustin Poirier is at 190 lbs, feeling good after eating without counting carbs or calories for 20 years. Always stayed near 155 lbs for fights, checking labels. His daughter now checks ingredients at Whole Foods, approving items with 3-5 ingredients like chips.
Weight cutting is the worst part of fighting. UFC needs more weight classes due to large gaps between divisions. Boxing has smaller jumps. More classes mean more titles, belts, big fights, but risks double champs and confusion. Extreme cuts are worse; example: fighter face-planted and removed from card 3 events ago, brink of death 24 hours before MMA fight. Poirier felt dizzy standing post-cut many times. Alex Pereira cut 25+ lbs from 225 lbs fight weight to 185 lbs weigh-in, still lean. Muscular builds cut easier via water dehydration, not fat depletion in 8-10 weeks.
Debate if 'depen' (deplete fat) is a word; it's 'deplete.'
Discussed with Hunter Campbell adding weight classes. California added classes every 10 lbs, limited dehydration to 15-20% body weight (Andy Foster's rule). Still crazy cuts like 40-50 lbs. Boxers shocked by UFC heavyweight limit at 265 lbs; gap from 205 is 210-265 lbs. Mike Tyson prime at 215-220 lbs. Suggest super heavyweight past 230-235 lbs. MMA grappling gaps huge; prime Francis Ngannou over 300 lbs cut to 265 lbs, immense top control advantage.
Super heavyweight fights could be awesome or suck; make heavyweight unlimited. Cain Velasquez at 240 lbs beat giant Lesnar with cardio, speed, technique—ahead of his time hybrid. Missed prime Cain vs. Fedor; both prime simultaneously. UFC tried signing Fedor post-Pride acquisition, but management (dangerous) demanded promotion percentage beyond purse. Pride contracts messed up; some like Dan Henderson came over on huge deals. Poirier saw Henderson's massive fight-night check in 2013-2014.
Future fighters make more; next generation always gets better pay. Mike Brown notes prelim fighters now earn more than his belt defenses. Fighters should make more (80% like Joe's comedy club model—comedians are the draw). Other orgs like NFL/NBA give higher percentages. Signed contracts mean no complaining; push for worth. UFC visibility key; PFL/ONE have great fighters but low recognition outside hardcore fans. Johnny Eblen (Bellator champ, ATT training partner since college wrestling) could compete with UFC top 5.
ATT has dozen unknown pros who could run in UFC; revolving door of 100 pros, international camps, dorms, tough rounds daily. Russians throw oblique kicks at knees to make names off stars; selective sparring needed everywhere, target on backs. ATT weeds them out. Early training caused concussions, making chins weaker.
Early days (2006): disorganized sparring/choking with 4 oz gloves daily, no super gyms. Drove between boxing, jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, wrestling gyms. Louisiana had Rich Clementi, Melvin Guillard, then Tim Credeur (Crazy Tim, Ultimate Fighter, first LA black belt, Navy, Machado jiu-jitsu ~1998). Trained with Credeur years in Lafayette. Credeur/Eve Edwards friends, opened Houston gym, cornered in Pride.
Eve best 155 lb-er ever, uncrowned champ (beat Josh Thomson, no belt then). Lineage of Thug Jitsu. Drove 6 hours to train with him pre-ATT/WEC, had wrestlers. NHB/hook-and-shoot pioneer, good jiu-jitsu/kickboxing/wrestling. Invented moves: hopping single-leg to flying knee KO on Edson Barboza (Andre Barboza's brother, dad MMA fighter) in Elite XC. Head kick KO on Josh Thomson in scramble, still in UFC openers.
Peak Josh Thomson vs. Gilbert Melendez (Strikeforce trilogy?, all amazing). Legends, groundbreakers; young kids don't know history. Melendez vs. Diego Sanchez slugfest. Diego tweener, tried 145 brutally, suited for 165 lb class.
165 might've tempted Poirier; 170s too big at 200+ lbs vs. his 182-183 max. Rumble Johnson hit 230 lbs between 170 fights, legit heavyweight.
Arlovski bare knuckle champ, durable post-UFC heavyweight title 2005 (beat Tim Sylvia Feb 5, 2005), KO'd Paul Buentello (Texas, Galveston/Corpus Christi area). Top 10 as recent as 2023, beat Travis Browne, fought Bigfoot. Tim Sylvia at ATT: uncoordinated, pigeon-toed, goofy but down to fight; KO'd Rico Rodriguez (juicy era, Mexican supplements). Sylvia struggled to 265, giant traps/shoulders.
Pigeon-toed learned/correctable per trainer. Big guys (Jelly Roll lost 300 lbs to low 200s via diet/exercise) walk toes out for balance, flat shoe corners. Sylvia ladder drills wild.
Juice free-flowing early. Bisping fought Vitor Belfort/TRT height. Juiciest fight: Alistair vs. Brock Lesnar. Mark Hunt documentary pushes UFC lawsuit for juicing knowledge, but tough—athletic commissions responsible, hard to prove UFC knew (e.g., Brock).
This was before random drug tests. It would fall on the state athletic commission. Brock Lesnar was clearly using something in his late 30s, built like the side of a barn. Many guys were doing it back then; it wasn't frowned upon because everybody was. Fight day drug tests are an intelligence test—whether you have good people in your corner and a chemist to time when substances clear your system.
Camps employed scientists; crooks stay ahead with new substances. They're probably still doing it. Drug tests are held for a prolonged period, with consent required via extra signature. Dustin Poirier competed clean his whole career, scared of tainted supplements, used trusted by sport products.
Tainted supplements are real. Onnit found unauthorized substances in third-party tested batches due to unclean vats overseas leaving residue. Testing detects picograms—like a grain of salt in a swimming pool, as with Jon Jones. Testing is legit given the violence in MMA.
TRT guys had to stay on it lifelong, but hCG and clomiphene can restart natural testosterone production, especially in young men. Joe Rogan has been on TRT since late 30s; his production won't return, but two daughters were born while on it.
Doping was rampant in MMA history, especially Pride, where contracts stated no steroid testing. They wanted fighters to juice for better spectacles, but it increases injury risk and durability.
Bigfoot Silva on TRT was extremely durable against Mark Hunt, but got knocked out after coming off. Eric Silva melted after USADA testing. Testosterone boosts vitality, durability, confidence.
Alistair Overeem on TRT looked like a superhero, best argument for it. In K1 he shelled up perfectly; earlier in Pride at light heavyweight he was skinny, shredded when fighting Shogun. He's a vegan now? UFC heavyweight champion physique, highly skilled: K1 Grand Prix champion, cream of the crop in kickboxing/MMA, Abu Dhabi European trials grappler winner, best guillotines.
Alistair hit Brett Rogers with a low kick in Strikeforce; Rogers had tree-trunk legs but perfect technique overwhelmed him. Gokhan Saki came over older after many K1 wars, knocked out by Khalil Rountree in first round despite elite kickboxing.
Alex Pereira is the best kickboxer-to-MMA example due to bone structure, DNA, intelligence. His calf kick has zero tell, no hip turn, fucks up calves better than anyone. Caused a huge rush of calf kicks for 1.5-2 years, still used by elites. Less commitment, harder for wrestlers to grab singles.
Dustin's fight with Jim Miller: one of first examples of calf kicks' danger. As southpaw, rare to face another throwing them effectively; felt like a flat tire. Ben Henderson used early but less devastating; Edson Barboza occasionally.
Now in kickboxing. Muay Thai guys susceptible when planting for kicks. Yuki Yoza (ONE Championship, K-1 Kushin guy) fucks people up with calf kicks: high guard, no hip pivot, like soccer kick clipping top of calf, no commitment, snaps like a jab.
Dustin used calf kicks repeatedly vs. Conor (southpaw vs. southpaw), destroyed his calf. Conor, two-division champion, hadn't experienced it. Clear evolution in sport techniques.
Until it happens, you don't respect it. One calf kick shot is devastating; thigh kicks numb temporarily but recover, calves don't. Calf lacks chambers for fluid drainage, causes compartment syndrome—swelling trapped, painful, stops nerves.
Jim Miller fight: wanted to fasciotomy (cut to release pressure), Dustin refused. Uriah Faber vs. Jose Aldo: leg ballooned. Severe cases risk losing ankle/foot function.
Uriah Faber used hyperbaric chambers to recover from calf damage. Brain benefits too. Home tents not as strong; need high-pressure glass ones, no sparks (kid died in one). Israeli university protocol: 60 sessions over 90 days lengthens telomeres, equivalent to 20 years younger biological age. Boosts oxygen for recovery; wearables show amazing recovery days.
Wearables addictive but during camp show constant red (need rest); fighters ignore to train. Forces body to adapt/recover quicker for peak condition. Terence Crawford learned to pull back sometimes.
Younger fighters avoid days off for reps; mid-30s+ need complete rest days to reset mind. Hard because momentum/conditioning/discipline feels like slipping backwards without it, but builds confidence entering fight week.
Fighters go flat from overtraining. Tim Kennedy vs. Kelvin Gastelum: two back-to-back camps after cancellation, body broke down—too tough/disciplined. Merab (vs. Yan) stayed busy with hard camps. Jon Jones impressive for staying on top long in MMA's variables.
Khabib went out on top undefeated, turned down big money—respect. Floyd Mayweather fought exhibition with Mike Tyson; rumors of Conor rematch, no drug testing.
Conor needs help healing injury; once used to it, hard to stop. Dustin on peptides (not testosterone to preserve natural production), feels great, wishes available during career. Tesamorelin (growth hormone releasing) for recovery, fat mobilization—push hard daily as older fighter.
BPC-157 heals soft tissue (daily training injuries: leg kicks, punches, armbars, joints)—allows better performance via recovery, not speed/strength boost. Banned unfortunately, like creatine/protein was once viewed as steroids (now known as food component, great for brain).
Women need creatine more than men. Hydrate, don't overdo, check blood to avoid kidney pressure. Fighters cutting weight get kidney stones (Jose Aldo, DC pulled from Olympics for failure). Felt back pain/kidney shots during cuts—tightness/cramping. Early prelims give less rehydrate time vs. main events (30+ hours).
Especially back in the day when weigh-ins were at 5 or 6 p.m. with no morning ceremonial weigh-in. Real weigh-ins at five, fight at two the next day. Guys shuffled to the scale looking like skeletons, facing off with opponents, both dying. Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor: Conor looked like one of the Walking Dead, a zombie, so skinny with face bones showing, flexing hyped up, completely dehydrated, eyes sunken in. He weighed 145 but probably 170 or at least 165 in the octagon.
Wonder if Conor returns at lightweight or welterweight. Chandler fight was a layup for him: great matchup technically, stylistically, age-wise—Chandler is 38 or 39. Hype of The Ultimate Fighter. Chandler's hitable, covers distance, not that technical, huge movements. Conor is a sniper. Great matchup for Chandler too as Conor gets tired; Chandler sat out two years waiting. Conor explosive and fast in first round, lacks energy in fifth. Some guys like Tyron Woodley have huge explosion but can't keep it for 25 minutes. Opposite: Nate Diaz keeps same pace round one to five, or 30.
Muscle fibers and connections determine endurance. Yoel Romero fought smart, still fighting at 50, jacked, more than ever, 48 or 49 with abs, super athlete. Did bare knuckle, dirty boxing—touched up opponent then leaped with five-foot vertical, landed and put it on. Freak athlete from Cuba, built with science. Paced himself: exploded out of nowhere but not entire time, casual pace lulling into false security then pounce, like knee on Weidman. Didn't wrestle too hard to avoid gassing, barely used elite wrestling in MMA despite being one of the best wrestlers ever, just starching people. Starchy Luke Rockhold.
Luke Rockhold still fighting but might be done after KO by Darren Till in boxing. Till has resurgence, looks fantastic, always good striker, Achilles heel was knees impeding hard training, not best grappler. Now making real run in boxing; Rockhold looked like he had no business there despite being really good striker.
Wanted to box Till. Still under UFC contract even retired. Pitched to UFC with Nate Diaz for Zuffa Boxing at 170 or 168 super middleweight, no crossover allowed. Zuffa wants to be taken seriously by boxing world; opening door means every roster member wants in, becomes mess. Fun MMA boxing matchups especially for older guys avoiding wrestling/leg kick camps. Boxing camp: no grappling/wrestling, just run, condition, box—smooth sailing, favorite days striking/sparring over brutal two-hour wrestling. Perfect for those with great hands; started boxing before MMA.
Zuffa redoing boxing, Saudis with Riyadh Season making impossible matchups. Conor Benn fan, excited for his Zuffa fight against guy from New Orleans. Elevates boxing, Dana all-in. Glad more Zuffa Boxing, less power slap. Power slap not jam; Mike Brown said awesome in person at New Orleans retirement fight event. Highlights good for knockouts/TikTok, but concussion with no defense, can't flinch or penalty.
Missed opportunity for Muay Thai League. ONE FC on Amazon, fights amazing especially small-glove Muay Thai. Pitched high-level Muay Thai/kickboxing to Dana.
Amazon great for buying but mess for content discovery; interface tricky, algorithm not as good as Netflix. ONE FC/PFL face issues: PFL on ESPN+ but no UFC audience. UFC brand like NFL machine owns space.
Dana didn't like Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira BMF fight. Impressive technique, hard against Max; Max's defense great—Oliveira on back round one, many finish early. Oliveira greatest submission artist, numbers prove it, against elite like Poirier, Justin, Gamrot (trained with for years, incredible grappler but tied in knots). Oliveira nightmare, hurt Max rounds one and five. Good striker too: almost finished by Chandler round one, clean left hook KO round two. Fought smart vs. Poirier: clinch or kicking range, not boxing; success only in boxing range.
Shows how good Ilia Topuria is. Love Justin Chandler, fan, bad matchup. Hard to count out, animal with touch of death, not big guy (5'7"), technique/confidence. Victory party night before Oliveira fight drinking wine (or water), did wine pre-weigh-in twice only—too much, hungover. Wine dehydrates like alcohol. Nobody drinks wine for weigh-ins. Only two camps, not every time.
No right/wrong way, everybody's different. Carlos Condit smoked cigarettes day of fight. Ricardo Mayorga smoked/drunk whiskey like going to party to fuck people up. Ilia fighting Jack Della Maddalena in Perth, tough comeback after Islam domination at MSG.
Islam Makhachev huge, too big for 155, dominant at 170. Fight night weights: Islam 190-192 vs. Poirier (176), veins in shoulders. Gregory Rodriguez 6'3" built like Greek god, how 185? Luke Rockhold huge in prime. Yoel Romero best example, anvil solid, 230 on podcast, neck starts at head top, tank, shredded, veins in abs. Cuban program: lower guys eat twice/day, top three times, competing for food.
Angola prison Louisiana boxing league: accepted get more meals/time/free time, fight other prisons, CCTV to cells. Great documentary idea, invite-only, feels illegal. Highly skilled with nothing to lose, legit refs let fights go, prison food but extra meals. Self-sustaining: grow food, make clothes, crops, guards/staff live on grounds, elementary school. October rodeo. Bernard from jail, Black Rhino Angola boxer pardoned to fight Mike Tyson. 2011 article with photos/interviews.
Bernard Hopkins was a prison boxer in Philly. He learned real discipline in prison and never wants to go back. Angola is maximum security; inmates have 25+ years. They box for extra food, free time, and to stay in shape. It keeps them focused, giving something to concentrate on besides being in jail. They set up a ring in the cafeteria. Some inmates were really good. There are titles and belts, like the Black Rhino Cliff Clifford or ATN, who was pardoned and fought Tyson.
They're in there for murder, armed robbery. Let them fight. Doing something difficult and violent like fighting improves quality of life, makes you tougher, smarter, more disciplined, focused, and releases aggression.
Dustin is busier now after fighting: sponsors, appearances, cornering buddies. Previously blacked out dates for camps. He enjoys UFC desk work, signed a one-year contract. Gets nervous on live TV. UFC gives former fighters commentary opportunities. Current UFC former fighter commentators: Dominic Cruz, Paul Felder, Michael Bisping, DC. Room for more. Dan Hardy was great, now at PFL after UFC squabble; he's a 10th Planet jiu-jitsu guy, knockout artist, smart, skillful commentator who breaks things down excitingly.
Fans want experiences, not stats. Sit on the couch watching fights with your boys.
Stats vary by opponent skill; e.g., Charles Oliveira's stats in fight with Islam Makhachev: quick submission despite one submission attempt tip.
Makhachev's D'arce choke uses forearm, not bicep; pulls to chest for different squeeze. Defense differs: can't belly down for space. Moicano filled in last minute, caught in same choke. Craig Jones broke it down on YouTube: like a front choke to chest, immediate blood shutdown. Dagestanis have extreme discipline and strength.
Akbar Imamagaev (or similar), 22-year-old Dagestani in ONE FC Muay Thai at 145lbs (or 132.7lbs limit, 5'10", 60kg). Knocking out multiple-time world champions. Win streak: knockout, win, knockout, etc. One unanimous decision vs. tough Moroccan. Freak athlete; if he adds wrestling, dominant in MMA. ONE has great product, big in Asia, financial struggles, tried US shows like Colorado.
Yuki throws devastating calf kicks. ONE rule sets: kickboxing (big gloves, no clinch, no elbows, knees but no prolonged clinch/knees/sweeps), Muay Thai (small gloves).
Kickboxing in Japan (K-1 style) removes clinch for excitement. Elbows effective but cause cuts, stopping fights early; Pride banned elbows despite soccer kicks, stomps, knees to grounded opponents. Ground-and-pound elbows damaging from guard.
Cage fence restricts movement; suggest large wrestling mat like basketball court with zones: center fight area, red zone (warnings), black zone (point deductions) to prevent excessive evasion. Karate Combat, UFC BJJ sloped surfaces good examples. Frank Shamrock pioneered sloped ring in his organization. World Combat League had slanted walls.
No rules fights (Russian) in parking lots, phone booths, cargo containers on water; eye gouges, knockouts into water.
Frank Shamrock ahead of his time, erased from UFC lineage after falling out. Fought older in Strikeforce, beat by Nick Diaz, knee issues. Beat Tito Ortiz (much smaller) with cardio, defense; changed Tito's strategy. Pioneer in fitness, nutrition, supplementation. Lion's Den (Ken Shamrock) emphasized extreme conditioning, mental toughness. Frank elite in takedowns, submissions, striking; beat Enson Inoue with knees (K-1?), fought Pancrase early (only 1 year training vs. Bas Rutten), wore boots/shin pads, open-hand slaps. Vale Tudo Japan fight shown.
First UFC (UFC 12, Dothan, Alabama): wrestling shoes, punches to nuts, hair pulling, clothes grabbing, two weight classes (Vitor won heavyweight). Dustin started martial arts at 17 (2006): wrestling ages 10-11 in private club (Texas/Louisiana tournaments), then boxing, met MMA guys, switched gyms. Around Forrest Griffin/Stephan Bonnar era. Teams big then (e.g., Chris Horodecki, Ben Rothwell).
Dan Miller's guillotine on opponent: traps head to chest sideways, ear touches chest (ref Steve Mazzagatti slow to stop). Jim Miller still fighting, most UFC fights, no surgeries, durable; lost step at 40 (beat up by Bobby Green). Cookbook author, hunter, Captain Redbeard spatula. Fun, witty, hard worker on farm.
Exceptional humans are exceptional at fighting. Too hard otherwise: camps, big lights, evolving.
All-in personality gift and curse: fighting pulls it together; retiring scary. Like Conor going all-in elsewhere without fighting.
Dustin Poirier, at 37, feels the days are long without fight preparation. After 20 years focused on becoming a better fighter, champion aspirations, fitness, and pushing limits, retiring leaves him as a civilian, relearning his identity. Fighting was a constant cloud in his mind for 20 years; now it's gone. He's a father, husband, and more, but still figuring out what to do. He felt depressed or in a funk for a week, questioning his future.
Even at events without competing, Poirier gets nervous—sweaty hands, armpit stains—like he's still fighting. Happened recently watching Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira; felt connected to both. Fighters share unwritten bonds from intense battles. Max and Poirier spent an hour fighting across two five-round decisions and one shorter fight, beating each other up while baring their souls publicly. They know each other deeply—when someone breaks or doesn't. Max doesn't break, as seen surviving Oliveira's back control, near-submissions, neck cranks, and chokes through the jaw.
Rear naked choke across the face or neck crank through the jaw cuts off veins or causes torque, putting opponents to sleep despite pain. Jaw pain from cranking feels like dislocation. Referenced Khabib Nurmagomedov's torque crank on Conor McGregor with forearm behind the neck. Lifelong grapplers have unique density, strength, pressure placement, hip angles, and subtle adjustments like turning toward the elbow that win fights.
Excited for Hamzat vs. Strickland; Strickland is a nightmare standing—slow pace, forces opponents to match it, chips away with high guard, extraordinary defense. Spars more than anyone, gets hit less. Like James Toney, hard to hit from constant sparring building distance, timing, pattern recognition, and cardio. Made Rodolfo Vieira (Fluffy Hernandez) look outclassed despite Vieira's cardio and submission of Haldane Vieira. Strickland heavy on front foot, but hard to land calf kicks; uses hacky sack leg lift (heel to knee) taught by Alex Pereira—instead of checking, relaxes and lifts leg. Izzy Adesanya's calf was destroyed in fights with Pereira; Izzy said after first stoppage, calf was crippled, couldn't move.
Power translates to heavyweight; walks around 230-240 lbs, legit heavyweight, tall, long, fought at 185. Athletic heavyweight, not just big.
Crime Aspinall-Gane fight stopped from eye poke; Gane was busting Aspinall up with legit jab, Aspinall bleeding, hard time touching Gane. Aspinall rarely goes past first round (twice maybe); fan hype surprised Poirier. Aspinall's grappling threat as BJJ black belt—big, fast, power double—but struggles standing against Gane's agility, technical striking, low hand popping up-jab, front leg tricks, quickness, mobility, hips. Gane dunks basketballs, fluid efficient striking. Jon Jones smart to avoid; Francis Ngannou took him down every round despite blown knee, but Gane evolved wrestling post-fight.
Heavyweight shallowest division. Francis fights Filip Filipović (Philip Lind?) at Nate Diaz card. No big names available; Cain Velasquez out from surgeries (back, knee, shoulder) from wrestling wear, never resting. Prime Cain best heavyweight; arguments Fedor Emelianenko, honorable mention Fabricio Werdum. Werdum tapped legends: Minotauro (Rodrigo Nogueira), Fedor, Cain with great triangles.
Peak BJ Penn at 155 unbeatable—tapped Joe Stevenson (Joe Daddy), beat Sean Sherk, Diego Sanchez; elite jiu-jitsu, knockout power, animal. Trained with Marinovich for insane gas tank via plyometrics, underwater rock carries, prioritizing conditioning over fighting drills. Hated camps, never fully shredded but looked good vs. Stevenson with six-pack. Beat prime Matt Hughes at 170 despite smaller frame. Stuck around too long, fought underprepared.
Poirier retired at 36 to preserve health, faculties; speed, reaction, durability decline, power last. No title shot? Fighting just to fight is crazy. Yoel Romero entered UFC at 36. Outliers like Usyk, Terence Crawford, Rico Verhoeven vs. Usyk.
Rico nice guy, super technical boxer, but no leg kicks hurts him vs. best technical heavyweight. Fury best shot—beat Usyk first fight until clipped/dropped in ninth. Usyk slick footwork, blown-up cruiserweight beating giants like Daniel Dubois (destroyed Joshua). Rico real heavyweight, hits hard, kickboxer, trained elite boxers. Payday huge in Giza pyramids, WBC heavyweight title on Zone. Glory in Giza. Crossover appeal from MMA, boxing, kickboxing fans; Glory small audience, UFC could make kickboxing huge with MMA gloves (e.g., Gazalia, Yuki Yoza, Masata Noiri).
Usyk open to Jon Jones in US if UFC pays; Jones needs wrestling. Jones might retire amid UFC issues but got stem cells/PRP on hip, feeling better despite arthritis. Poirier did stem cells/PRP on hip (labrum tear, egg-shaped femur head resurfaced in Vail, Colorado—invented there, GSP had it). Recovery: 8 weeks no pressure (crutches), then motion machine at night for hip capsule (perpetual motion, weekly angle codes, brace to junk like wedgie). Now healed fine.
Dustin Poirier discusses a surgery invented for his hip issue, similar to what GSP had. Recovery involved two months of poor sleep. First week used pain medicine; after stopping, took Triple Z for dreams and best sleep. Slept in a continuous passive motion machine like a hamster wheel for weeks, leg constantly moving slowly. Metal in groin rubbed raw, but pain meds helped. Worked with Paul Felder who had full hip replacement due to poor spacing; Poirier's spacing was good, not a candidate for replacement.
Paul Felder did Iron Mans post-fighting, cycling 5 hours in hotel rooms with a travel bike—unhealthy. Felder diagnosed years ago with hips of an 80-year-old: no soft tissue, bone-on-bone grinding.
Artificial joints are permanent. Biologics and stem cells improving, rehealing tissue—hang in there. Injecting into discs to make them larger for back problems. Alternatives: decompression therapy to create space, alleviate nerve pressure. Surgery last resort, especially back—racket with hardware, meds. Doctors paid for surgery push it; everything looks like a nail with a hammer.
No one improved from back surgery except Nate Quarry with artificial disc spacer, but later issues common. Neck fusions rough: Mike Brown (front approach), Alan Jouban, Kayla Harrison recent. Aljamain Sterling had disc replaced, beat Petr Yan in rematch looking great. New artificial neck discs work well for some.
Kayla Harrison had herniated disc repair/replacement like Sterling. Usual fix removes disc bulge but causes degenerative issues. Decompression option: neck harness on chin-up bar stretches neck, relieves pressure—pops.
Spine surgery tricky; shoulders, knees critical. No MMA fighter returned from knee replacement. Worst: Desus Buakaw hyperextended by Khalil Rountree's side kick. John (likely Jones) does knee stomps; Ian Garry to Shavkat. Feels dirty like eye pokes or nutshots—effective but questionable. Prefer knees to grounded opponent over knee kicks; takes a year off career. Knee bars, arm bars tappable; inside heel hooks give microseconds.
Mike Musumeci mangled opponent's knee in match—ripped sideways multiple times, no tap. Leg destroyed: ACL, MCL, meniscus—never the same. Video shown: horrific angles, broken ankle too (Gentimer Enduran?).
Poirier: torn meniscus right knee, no surgery. Partial ACL tear vs. Islam Makhachev—pulled off fence, knee slid, felt fire (rare in-fight pain). Partial ligamentum tear too; bruising, couldn't bend initially. PT fixed it to 100%.
Brendan Allen tore ACL completely, reattached at different angle without surgery. Brad Pickett fought career with no ACL—slid shin on mat visibly. Rico Rodriguez too, blew out ACL. Poirier trained with Rico (UFC heavyweight champ) at Tim's gym in Baton Rouge, LA—ran gym, partnered with UFC gym.
Hard road post-retirement; forgotten fighters can't do seminars. Poirier does watch parties with fans—fun but awkward if they linger, FaceTime requests. Recognition surged after McGregor fight after 19 years fighting, despite prior main events, title shots.
McGregor fights: Eddie Alvarez prime—Matrix dodging, combinations. Alvarez beat RDA shocking; Chandler fights chaos in Bellator—knockdown dragouts. Chandler knocked out Dan Hooker first round same card as Poirier-McGregor, but too late—suffered punishment.
Francis Ngannou to Netflix card: >"Fuck your legacy, give me my money." Best years in Bellator/PFL wasted for recognition. Johnny Eblen knocked out Leon Edwards' brother, beat Masi (legend); cornered by Poirier in Ireland—gnarly elbow cut exposing vein, stopped Fabian Edwards (Mousasi loss).
Gegard Mousasi: beast—smart, technical, unassuming. Upkicked Jacare into triangle (Dream). Stopped Weidman UFC. Great boxing jab, wrestling defense. Subbed 260lb Mark Hunt at 185. Patient, methodical, good everywhere. Last fight 2023, lost to Fabian Edwards, age 40, possibly PFL contracted.
Jorge Masvidal prime: headkick KO Evan Edwards (Bodog), switch step left hook KO Darren Till, body shot KO Cowboy (170). Dog at 155 Strikeforce with wrestling focus. Good jiu-jitsu, wrestling, kickboxing—not natural 170.
Kimbo at American Top Team with kids. First YouTube legend—bald head, beard, braids, jacked. Started as bodyguard/driver for Miami porn company owner; no warm-up driveway scraps. Poirier downloaded illegally on LimeWire as kid. UFC/TUF journey wild.
Paul Daley entered UFC with basically zero grappling, learning the sport on the fly despite good natural boxing ability. He had some training, shown by his boxer shell movement like Mike Tyson, though rudimentary. In his fight against Seth Petruzelli, who replaced Ken Shamrock last minute due to a dispute or cut, Daley knocked him out. This was EliteXC, which had few shows after and may have gone bankrupt around then, run by boxing promoter Gary Shaw. Promoting these events is hard; UFC's promotional machine is polished with top production, directors, producers, and best fighters.
Even fights like Holloway vs. Oliveira are great but require appreciation beyond casual bloodthirstiness. Doing that to Max Holloway is crazy; great grapplers and wrestlers haven't. With Paramount deal removing pay-per-view, concerns arise about biggest fights without PPV revenue, potentially leading to weaker cards despite guaranteed money.
PPV built hype and gave fighters points. Now unclear how fighters get paid; no one discloses. PPV points were a carrot for title fights, changing lives. Conor and Justin have backdoor money, so likely bigger guarantees. Justin fights for title at White House as last fight, a patriot.
Ronda Rousey promotes Netflix fight, criticizing UFC's $7 billion sale while fighters underpaid, sparking conversation and pressure to pay more. Netflix one-off with Ronda, Francis, Nate has crazy payroll; Netflix throws ridiculous money. If they do more with big names like boxing (e.g., Benavidez vs. Bivol), it elevates pay scales. Competition good; rises all boats.
UFC sold rights, not company, for billions. Shrewd promoters could poach expiring contracts like Islam Makhachev. Olivier Aubin-Mercier made $1 million in PFL, won tournament at least once. Anthony Pettis left UFC for PFL big money. Competition creates more jobs; cut fighters can pivot careers. Francis Ngannou left PFL; Dana White refuses UFC return despite bad blood. Francis legit heavyweight champ, undefeated there, beat Renan Ferreira in PFL (another ATT guy). PFL got Saudi money; CR7 (Cristiano Ronaldo?) got $20 million per fight, contract ensured opponents substantial minimum pay—respect.
Netflix card: Nate vs. Mike Perry, Francis vs. Filip Filipovic? (possibly), Ronda vs. Gina. Free on Netflix, could get 50 million+ views, more than any fight. YouTube could enter too. Sport evolved; big companies now want in. Airport, grocery store grandmothers, soccer moms discuss fights—insane vs. 15 years ago whispered by bearded tattooed guys.
Fertittas down $40 million, made Spike TV Ultimate Fighter deal despite hemorrhaging, nearly selling. Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar perfect storm—chaotic, even matchup, three rounds. Live felt special. Joe started with old owners in 97 doing backstage/postfight interviews, quit as unprofitable vs. comedy. In 98 with Eddie Bravo, wished for billionaires to fund; Fertittas did.
UFC invented to showcase Gracie jiu-jitsu; Hoise Gracie right at first against giants. Royce ~176 lbs vs. bodybuilders in pajamas (gi). No one knew gi or jiu-jitsu effectiveness—choking with gi, stomping sidekicks ignored.
Dustin from white to brown belt competed IBJJF every tournament, weight and absolute. Stopped gi ~2011-2012 for MMA no-gi at ATT with high-level partners. Wants back to gi occasionally. Eddie Bravo: professional tennis player wouldn't practice racquetball. No-gi for MMA jiu-jitsu. Gi teaches technical defense sans muscle. Best learn from small guys like Baret Yoshida, Helio Gracie, Eddie Bravo—all technique. Big guys' game different. Makhachev/Khabib no-gi polished; gi wouldn't help. Never on back in guard; different speed, small lock changes like dar choke on forearm, chain wrestling style not collegiate.
Daniel says Khabib submitted high-level amateur wrestlers. Discipline, drive, focus; religious—no partying, drinking, women. Techniques: legs triangle under mount vs. fence, wrist ride, handcuff. Remapped game; dominant forces in high stakes without heel/knee catches. Islam knocked out by Adriano Martins. Gleison Tibau beat Khabib? (many say Tibau won); Joe rewatched, thinks Tibau won, stopped takedowns, tank at 5'7-5'8, black belt jiu-jitsu, strong striking. Middle name Hercuino.
ATT sees elite talent; shoutout Dan Lambert, passion-funded when no money. Built blueprint super gym: dorms, huge land, expensive area, fighter houses, covered medical bills unpaid, 5% cut vs. others' high takes. Best gym: knowledge, equipment, unpredictable elite mats. Robbie Lawler first UFC champ? (Mike Brown WEC); there for all his camps. Everyone wanted Dan a champ. Pantoja elbow injury bad; skipped for other title fight. Two weeks ago didn't see him; Megan Olivi mentioned dislocated shoulder but it was elbow.
Confusion over Demetrious Johnson's injury during his flyweight title fight against Joshua Van. Observers saw his elbow give out, visibly moving and caving in, likely damaging ligaments, muscles, and soft tissues under the weight. Doctors initially mentioned elbow but later clarified shoulder; post-fight updates noted shoulder popped back in with no ligament damage, though cartilage or other soft tissue damage possible anytime a joint bends unnaturally. Terrible end to a title fight, especially on Johnson's streak of defending the belt. He's older, dominant in flyweight (hard division), a hard worker, quiet good dude, savage, one of the greatest ever. Recalled Johnson running through opponents like Kai Kara-France and a Japanese fighter, showing he's on fire. Not loud or flashy, walks into gym unnoticed, always focused, a soldier. A few years before becoming flyweight champion, drove Uber Eats to pay bills—makes fighting special.
Where else can you be from any discipline, any creed, any background and call yourself the world champion? On any given night you can go against the odds and be a Buster Douglas or an Uber Eats driver and be the world champion a couple years later. Fighting combat is special. It is the end all of all sports. If someone shoots a basket and makes a three-pointer on you, okay, but I could still fuck you up. No one says after you fuck them up, yeah but I could score a basket on you. Beating someone's ass is the end goal. That's what all sports aspire to be: combat sports.
Middle school comeback: "Can't beat me though." Top challenge, doesn't matter if better at anything else—you dumped on me, but I'll beat your ass.
Retired, focusing on being good dad and husband. Businesses include Poirier's Louisiana hot sauce (vinegar-based cayenne pepper with celery, legit, not white label, developed it; sales spiked around fights, now testing stride without promotions; proud of it, recommends highly). Other businesses in Lafayette. Upcoming retirement documentary by Pepper and Bones (same team as 2011's Fightville, premiered at South by Southwest, on Netflix/Showtime). Filmed last training camp, fight week in New Orleans, recent Thanksgiving. Hundreds of hours unreleased footage from age 17-18: met filmmakers following war veteran fighter at local show, they started filming Poirier—captures full journey from amateur small shows, behind-the-scenes at home as a kid.
Whatever you do, if you put the same energy into becoming a great fighter, you'll be great at anything. Doing the most difficult thing makes everything else easier.
Hard to let go of fighting life, relearning identity as civilian. Doesn't want easy path. Maybe couple boxing matches, but UFC unlikely to release from contract unless big pot (not fighting Floyd Mayweather; Russian company wanted Poirier vs. Nate Diaz boxing, UFC said no; tried Zuffa Boxing benefit). Doesn't want more head trauma with 50+ fights, wants to raise son, take care of head. Never going to stop training.
Shoutout to William Montgomery—Poirier did "Never going to stop" (William Montgomery reference) in jumping guillotine during fight, Joe missed it live but online fans pointed it out; delivery off due to post-fight focus on extracting fighter's words. Coach Mike warned against jumping guillotines, giving up takedowns as underdog. Great victory against opponent on streak, aging well. Poirier all-time great, honor, congratulations on amazing career—will kill it in anything, try cop desk work. Buy hot sauce, it's legit.
Keep PowerfulJRE in your library
Save the videos and channels worth coming back to, and find them again in one place.
