Dustin Poirier recently anatomized a viral video of him submitting the “World’s Strongest Man”, Brian Shaw.
The former UFC interim lightweight champion, highly esteemed for his striking abilities and regarded as one of the best boxers in MMA, displayed his slick submission skills in the video.
Dissecting the video in a recent interview with Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports, Poirier commented on the experience of grappling with someone with a significant size advantage:
“That’s not the full video. He taps me out later on by just putting his weight on top of me. He’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met, but a huge individual. He’s a giant. It was fun. He has no grappling experience.”
Poirier further added:
“Just to get my legs around him to take his back to try to hang on to him, he’s just such a huge human being. Just getting my arms around his neck is like trying to grab someone’s waist. That’s how big his neck is.”
Dustin Poirier will be looking to bounce back from his loss against Charles Oliveira at UFC 269. The Louisianan is scheduled to face Michael Chandler at UFC 281 on November 12, 2022, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Dustin Poirier discusses the significance of strength in fighting
When it comes to fighting within the construct of mixed martial arts, several factors play a vital role in ultimately determining the better competitor. This includes technique, reach, height, etc. In the aforementioned interview with Yahoo Sports, Dustin Poirier shed light on the significance of strength in fighting.
Having fought the best names in the featherweight and lightweight divisions of the UFC, collecting signature victories over the likes of Conor McGregor and Justin Gaethje, Poirier has gained profound knowledge about the science behind the fight game.
The way he sees it, having a considerable strength advantage over one’s opponent sometimes helps fill the voids of technique:
“Strength is a big thing in fights that can make up for technique. Like if you’re trying to get up off the mat or build back up on the fence, and you’re technically doing it a little wrong, but you have the strength and explosiveness…It kind of fills some of the gaps and makes guys be able to do more than their skillsets would allow them to do. But it has to be sustainable.”
MMA fighters today indulge in proper strength training to develop the physical capacities necessary to handle the unpredictable nature and stressors of the sport.