Dustin Poirier: Justin Gaethje Loss Led to ‘Darkness’ Before UFC 299 Rebound | The MMA Hour

Dustin Poirier discusses his win over Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299, bouncing back from the Justin Goethje loss, his different mindset for the fight, his obsession for jumping guillotines, what a clean knockout feels like, what he said to Dana White and Saint Denis after the fight, why he took this fight, what he wants next, his rib injury before the fight, his mental struggles after the Gaethje fight, and more.

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An unbelievable credit to the sport a testament to hard work to humility to just biting down hard hat lunch pale a freaking one of one an OG and right back in the mix at 155 pounds L damante kind enough to join us the pride of Lafayette

He is back hello Dustin how are you back in the winning circle last time you were on on a Monday after a fight it wasn’t that fun Monday after a fight here you are big smile congratulations my man hey thank you brother yeah it’s always nice doing these interview rounds and

And seeing your face especially after a win man yeah uh considering last time considering your age and everything that you’ve been through in your in your life and career is this one of the sweetest wins of your of your illustrious career dude they all are I mean it’s

Always nice to bounce back you know I am Mr Bounce back um to to to write the ship to get back in the wind column after you know a devastating loss like the the Gatey fight you know it just just to to do [ __ ] the right way have a

Great training camp really focus you know I practice a lot of mindfulness this Camp I kind of block myself out from everybody I have so many people to catch up with because I didn’t respond to any texts I didn’t answer any calls like I was just freaking I took myself

Into another another place like this training camp you know have you ever done that before like to that extreme not not to that extreme no and and how extreme is that like are are you literally not talking to anyone except your family like how how deep do you go

Even even my family I mean I haven’t spoke to my father in like eight or nine weeks wow he was calling me all throughout Camp he called me on fight day um I didn’t return any any calls to anyone and and why is that needed or why was that needed for this particular

One I’m not sure I I just wanted to block everything out you know I just wanted to block everything out and really fully 100% focus on this fight I don’t know obviously you’ve had the ups and downs it’s all well documented you’ve never hid from any of

It but did you feel this time like your back was truly against the wall like was this as close to do or die as you can get they’re all the biggest one the next one’s the biggest one and then it’s the biggest one but like did you feel that

Way considering all the circumstances leading up to it yeah and you know I’m no stranger to to to being beat you know to comeing off of losses but this one at at 35 years old after getting title shots and working my way up getting another title

Shot these when you lose like that to a guy like gatei and at this age it just it really felt like you know all losses suck but this one really hurt you know because I don’t know how many more runs how many more chances I have left that’s

Why I kind of embrace this whole fight week even in the tunnel before I walked out this training camp like I was just more grateful for everything because I I really mean it like every time I do this could be the last time and I just want to enjoy those feelings th those

Feelings and those emotions I was telling my wife before the fight um on fight day like what a life what a how grateful am I to be able to experience these emotions like even through fight week through the interviews and stuff I was like you know what I’m I’m getting to

Experience this I’m grateful for it I feel good it’s it’s just like it’s tough to put into words the emotions of fight weak and the stress and the pressure of being under that magnifying glass of a fight like this especially coming off of a loss but I

Tried to put myself in a mind frame where I was just looking at things like an experience instead of I have to do this interview I have to do this workout I have like I get to I was looking at it like from a third person like outside of myself like I I

Get to experience these things you know this is an experience these emotions this uncomfortableness I’m about to walk out here in front of Miami and and fight for my life I get to experience this like it it just felt good thinking of things that way and I’d imagine maybe

When you’re coming up you don’t look at things that way right there’s there’s a a point no right when when is this the first time you felt that way yeah this is the first time I kind of took a step back and said how awesome is this I I’m going

Through this right now I’m comfortable I’m warming up for the fight I’m watching these guys fight before me oh I’m two fights away oh [ __ ] okay what an experience this is you know that’s interesting because I think some people would be like oh [ __ ] tense I can’t lose

I can’t afford to lose yet it seemed like you were just kind of enjoying it like I don’t know maybe like there was less pressure on you because you had nothing to lose it made me feel Greatful for the moment I was in wow instead of being back against the wall feeling wow

You know it changed my perspective on the moment uh you can say interesting um so so you weren’t like super nervous you weren’t super tense no I felt really loose and and grateful to be under the stress yeah grateful to be there it just it just really flipped my mindset um what what

About just like you know being the underdog and all the buzz surrounding him and France and all that stuff chip on your shoulder fair to say you had that I I mean every fight’s a chip on my shoulder that’s just the kind of fighter I am you know but just more surprised

And wondering why you know the odds makers had me at I think plus 200 on some some websites like why maybe because I lost I was just really like picking my brain like why too bad I can’t freaking bet man yeah yeah yeah um when you like when you faed off people

Were making a lot of uh noise about the face off like oh the cold stare all that stuff what did what what were the vi like we just had MVP on and he was breaking down like Kevin Holland’s body language leading up did you take anything away from him he had never been

In a spot like this before with all due respect to Matt fola like he’s going from the prelims to the co-main to one of the biggest fight cards of the year it’s a massive jump for him while you’ve been there time and time again did you take anything away from his demeanor

Leading up to the fight not really I I I expected him to be more like a aggressive but he was very stoic you know I know he has a strong mindset coming from the things he’s done and uh the training had in the military and stuff but I just thought he

Would be a little bit more like aggressive you know uh but he was like I said he was very stoic and he wasn’t you know all fight week he wasn’t a he was he was respectful I I knew we were into you know we were we were getting ready

To see something spectacular we were in for a treat as they say when the warhe hat made an appearance correct me if I’m wrong did we not have the Warhead in Utah did you keep it at home no I had it I had you had it okay

So why didn’t why don’t I I just I saw that thing and for I guess I convinced myself we didn’t have it in Utah so I was like oh it’s back they didn’t let me wear it to the press conference in Utah ah okay so I

Knew but I I I had it when I got to the arena I had it on okay okay okay there’s something about that hat I don’t know what it is what do you feel when you wear it I don’t ever wear it the only time I wear it is when you see me

Wearing it for the fight oh sick I put it in a case I have a hat case I don’t freaking touch the thing until fight day what do you feel when you put it on I feel marvelous that is appropo of course for those that don’t know Marvin Haggler

Made that hat very famous by the way I don’t forgive me if I’ve asked you this how did you get it so there’s a guy uh named Roman Faldo who fights makes martial arts he’s from qest Florida a great fighter but uh he

Had it on the gym one day he was a spar partner of mine for I don’t forget what you know I don’t remember what camp but he was he’s he’s still a training partner of mine but he was a specific sparring partner for for a fight camp

And he wore to the gym and I was like and I’m a big boxing fan so as soon as I saw it I was like [ __ ] it man this is crazy I love that hat he said I’ll get you one and that the the one he gave me

Is the one I’ve been wearing ah sick I’m happy they let you wear it uh what was your assessment of the first round how did you feel about what went down in that first five minutes I was uh surprised at how much success he was having riding me out and you know

I was like [ __ ] this is [ __ ] you know but I’ll never stop jumping Guillotines either he never took me down I took myself down like five times what is the obsession with this uh jumping Guillotine like why why do you love it so much and why are you so insistent on

Trying to nail it multiple times of fight I don’t know Ariel I need to stop but I would never but what is it about it like you just love the way it looks do you love the sensation do you hit it in practice why are you so why are you

So about it CU it it yeah I hit it a lot I hit it a lot I put people unconscious [ __ ] hell is this like a thing now you have fight though you have to nail it is this like a thing that just nags at you yeah maybe I maybe I’ll I’ll submit

Islam with it when did it first start the obsession over this move probably a few years ago Dude don’t be silly jump to ghilly that’s that’s the motto feels like merch right there by the way I feel like sell very well might have to make a shirt might have to make

A shirt um would you say first round like this guy hits really hard he is the truth he is worthy of all this praise and hype no not a he’s not a big puncher he’s a big guy and he’s physically strong but like punching power is

Something like you don’t have to be a big guy to have that I don’t know if it’s the bone structure the ligament attachments just people some people have it you know um he wasn’t a big puncher but he was he was very strong when he grabbed like when his hands were

Together against the fence or when he got on top he felt physically strong okay so how are you how are you feeling first going into second good dude I rewatched the fight last night with my wife when we got back to Louisiana Joe Rogan said I was

Exhausted said I was tired like five time bro I do not get tired I have some of the best cardio in this fight Sho that we do like I can go 25 minutes hard cracking the whole time um I can’t believe he said that but felt good I

Felt like he was going to slow down you know that that’s what I was I was hoping for I thought third or fourth round is when I would really start to like pull away and break him down but I I got him out of there in a second I’m I’m

Grateful for that yeah incredible shots um so I was just going to ask if you were surprised that you got him out that early I guess maybe you thought it was going to come a little bit later but obviously you were confident that you were going to yeah I thought I was gonna

Have to break him down wear him down a little bit more um but I caught him in a in a in the middle of a trade when when his chin was up and his body wasn’t set for that that right hook you know the timing

Of it was just perfect to to whip his brain around maybe a stupid question but I’m just curious like can you even verbalize what that feels like when you fold someone like that when like a clean knockout like what what does that even when a body just goes

Limp it’s kind of uh surreal like it’s it feels like it’s happening in slow motion like you land the shot it doesn’t even feel like a big shot you know it just like feels smooth and you see the the reaction to their body and it feels

Like is this like it’s a rush of emotion because it feels you’re you’re excited but it also feels like it’s a a weight coming off your shoulders at the same time like this is is this is ending right now you know the pressure everything I did it I did it again like

It’s it’s it’s you can’t if you could bottle this we’d have you know we’d be billionaires selling this feeling um and then again considering what happened to in the last fight it just gratitude right all that stuff like you don’t know when you’re going to get those again

Right yeah and gratitude and just like [ __ ] it’s so it just feels so good because no matter how much I prepare you know I’ve said this over and over again but it’s a theater of the unknown like I I think I’m better than this guy I know

I’m better than this guy I know I worked hard I did everything I needed to do to to put myself in position but I could have been on the other side of that I could have been the one going down you know man down it could have been me and

That’s like something I accept every time we walk out there but that’s what makes this so much such an experience you know what were you saying afterwards like I saw the shot and it looked like you were looking at Donald Trump but I don’t know if you were saying anything

To him because it was from your back were you saying things to people outside I saw Mercedes Lewis a longtime football player Legend you know one of the longest active football players I saw him in the crowd I saw steo I was there was just a bunch of people I was kind of

Acknowledging uh Action Bronson was there yeah but whenever I was it looked like I was talking to Trump I was talking to Dana oh what’ you say I I said hey hey you want me to fight these young [ __ ] huh this is what happens that’s what I told

Him that is incredible uh and he gave you much deserved props in the uh in the postf fight press conference um how do you have the pre like the postf fight interview man I talked to I got to talk to uh ston a little bit before he walked

Out of the Octagon too oh you know because we we didn’t really get to talk fight week it was you know fight nerves and staring each other down and stuff like that so I wanted to just shake his hand and talk to him what’ you say to

Him told him to take care of himself train smart I said if you want to do this you’ll be right back where you just were but but take care of yourself you know as I get older and having fights like I had with gaii um I just think about what we do

You know like like I respect these guys and you know their tenacity for chasing this dream but like you this is bad for you you know when you say take care of yourself you got to be smart do you mean like take time off don’t rush back things like that because of the

Long-term effects yeah exactly yeah and I never really thought about that stuff on the way up but like as I get older and my daughter gets older and I take fights like these crazy ones that are you know they’re just not good for you and we

Love this and we’ll do it again and again again but like what I told BR Oto like people I saw a lot of comments like this guy like takes stuff too serious it’s like looks too far you know the people were talking [ __ ] about what I told Brad like a piece

Of me really does leave you know a piece of BSD left in there but that’s the game we play you know like oh there I am again it’s always so weird I just pop up on the screen looking at myself um man it’s really incredible talking to d

Uh to Dustin because he has such perspective and he’s so matter of fact about everything and he has such appreciation and he’s seen it all and he’s done it all he’s lived through it all um I just I just love it he’s not he’s not someone who

Sugarcoats keeps it real that’s what we love about him that’s what we appreciate about him we’re going to get him back here and a reminder that at uh top of the hour we’re going to be joined by Sha Ali so we’ll go from MVP to DP to Shan

Ali still to come Cedric doom and Joanne wood um so some big Winners and unfortunately for dumb a uh a non-winner I don’t want to say a loser because he’s not a loser but you get I don’t know what the opposite of a a nice opposite

Of of winner was or is uh do want to ask DP in a moment here I like to I like to get so philosophical with him but do want to ask him about the uh the back and forth tweets with Islam and uh it would seem as though he uh oh there he

Is you back yeah what’s up brother sorry my laptop died ah no problem no problem yeah it does seem like a bit of a different angle here but all good um okay so I just wanted to ask you about the post-f fight interview like just the

Stuff you were saying about you know you can’t hold the spot you got to fight and even when Joe says you’re the man I’m just the man it’s just like you you just nailed that whole thing it was just I don’t like it sounds like I’m I’m

Kissing your ass here but it’s just like I don’t even know how you have the presence of mind to deliver these matter OFA lines in those moments so well done to you thank you man I appreciate it um and and and that and that’s that that

That sort of mindset do you feel like that’s a bit of a problem in the sport where you say like yo you you do have to fight these guys you can’t just hold your spot you know what I mean does that annoy you you know Ariel like being 100%

Honest if there was a bigger fight if something was available if there was a bigger money fight or a higher profile fight I of course you know this is business I would have taken the bigger fight but nothing was available that was that was huge at the

Moment I wanted to fight I wanted to get back in the win column and we got this guy and I like I said I do honor this and I understand this is business and the way this goes and somebody gave me my shot it was just right timing okay um

Well speaking of bigger fights afterwards I see Islam I see his manager ali uh tweeting about you June is this a real thing do you think this could happen you versus Islam for the belt in June I haven’t spoke to the UFC but I I

Do think it could happen I said that you know fight week doing those interviews like people are asking me where do I think I am in the lightweight Division and I I really believed that that like I was one you know one big win away one good finish you know it doesn’t

Matter the opponent I just need to to look good and uh just with my career and and how many fights I’ve had with UFC and how how many times I’ve you know beaten top guys and stuff I always feel like I’m one big win away from it at any time in my

Career you in the last few years yeah of course um and I think I don’t really think anyone would bad deny maybe maybe Justin gatei has a problem with this but he has a fight coming up and what you know he could easily lose that fight um

There is no one for Islam to fight so why not what do you think the UFC would say do you think they’d be open to it let’s go um I I do you know I think so no one said anything to you on Saturday

About it no I I ran into Dana at the press conference when he got off stage he shook my hand told me a couple things but we didn’t talk at all about what could be next okay and uh I mean kind of a quick turnaround right that’s in three

Months but it I mean I know you just went through a training camp and and the but like is that would you be okay with June I didn’t take any damage in this fight um yeah I’d be okay with June I didn’t take I actually went into this

Fight with a couple injuries from Camp oh wow my ribs my rib gamr [ __ ] busted my ribs up like three almost three weeks ago and it’s been bothering me really bad ever since so would June be a problem no okay all right was it bad enough to where you thought maybe you’d

Have to pull out no I mean it was bad enough to where I was like hoping he wouldn’t rip my body on that side but hurts when I sneeze when I twist and stuff you know I I didn’t go to the doctor or anything but something’s all my RI for sure okay

Do you think he can be a a top player like a contender like everyone thought going into this fight do you do you believe that or not yeah look at the yeah look at the stuff he’s done you know he’s still young in his career man he’s still learning he’s gonna learn a

Lot from this fight you know the first time I I lost that way I learned a lot he’s gonna find out a lot about himself you know um losses like that if you’re in the right state of mind they it it’s really a beautiful time to experience yourself

To find out who you are and have a moment with yourself when you’re winning and the ball’s moving and you know it’s going down like like a Snowball Effect everything’s moving so well with you growing big everything’s getting bigger it’s easy to to miss a lot of the

Lessons you know and I think about this stuff the older I get with wins too with losses with everything like there’s so many little messages that are that that we could be learning from going through this experience of of life and fighting um if he’s in the right State of Mind

He’ll pick up those lessons you know it’s it’s just really a great time to experience yourself um fantastic perspective by the way um obviously the last time we spoke we spoke a little bit about like some of the drama leading up to the fight were there any lessons from that for you was

There anything cleared up in the aftermath ABC always be closing Ariel uh even I mean like I thought maybe Dana might say something like he just kind of it was all love in the aftermath so no no issues there no me and the UFC I spoke to Dana

Hunter we’re all in a in a great great spot okay that’s good were you worried about that yeah yeah really you you don’t strike me as the type well you know honestly the UFC has been you know I know they get bashed all the time for fighter pay and this and

That and way they you know they do their their business but they’ve really been good to me man yeah you know and of course I’ve I’ve earned it and been with them a long time and had the ups and downs in negotiations and fight contracts and stuff but dude

They’ve really Hunter and Dana have both really been good to me by the way what about I mean the the thing that blew it all open was uh actually Johnny eblin doing an interview about it did you tell him like yo Johnny can you chill the F

Out here I’m trying to fix this why you try to did you I mean it was all love he had your back big time but I was just wondering how you felt about that Johnny’s the man uh no I haven’t even seen the interview so I’m not even

Sure dude perfect don’t see it don’t look at it it’s all good he just had your back he just had your back my man I got his back I got his back I didn’t watch interviews I didn’t watch uh that was another thing this Camp too I I

Didn’t feed into that stuff why do you usually watch a ton yeah yeah like if I’m on Twitter or X you know you know how you you get like the timeline does a thing where things you’re interested in or whatever so it’s all of course it’s

All fight stuff so I’ve seen I’ve seen a lot of them and normally I would click on them and watch them you know but I didn’t watch any do you think that’s going to be the way you you handle the buildup to fights from from here on out

Or was that just for this particular one that’s what you needed to do I mean that was for this particular one but I want to keep it moving forward it I’d love to keep it just less less of the mental rep you know when you said at

The beginning of the interview that you practice mindfulness does that mean like meditation and stuff like that or is that just like what you’re talking about here no meditation as well this camp like most days I did a 30 minute or 20 minute walk every morning before

Breakfast huh just to clear my mind set my intentions for the day be appreciative of freaking breathe in Air you know like just I’m just I don’t know maybe I’m getting old maybe I’m being an old man I don’t know I’m just trying to like experience things in a different

Way cuz I’m so blessed you know just to be in this mindset you know I don’t know it’s tough I don’t want to keep harping on or sound weird I love it you know but I’m just I’m just like maybe I am getting older I don’t know I just like

Really grateful for the experience of Life providing for my family like every day you know wake up walk 30 minutes in my own thoughts get away from electronics and just yeah give gratitude you know because what a journey what a journey man who who um sort of open your

Eyes to doing that to that being you know beneficial to you after this after the gatei fight man I went through some real the world doesn’t know or people don’t know people are close to me know I went through some real mental struggles man like I I was going through some

Stuff and uh that’s that’s really when I I started really practicing mindfulness and setting my intentions and just trying to be grateful for for every day how how how bad did it get really bad really bad to like worse than it’s ever been yeah oh yeah and H

How did you get out of that by by doing by doing these things did someone help you or did you figure it out on your own a lot of a lot of people help me okay um my friends my business partners here in Louisiana but my wife my wife

Really dude I’m just very thankful for her did it did it get to the point where like and if I was in her if I was in her position I don’t know if I could take the stuff she’s taken you know I would like to think I can but I’m just

Grateful to have somebody like that like the stuff she’s seen you have to go through yeah and the things I’ve put her through going through it right yeah yeah your bond is incredible and obviously you’ve known each other since you were kids was it to the point where thought you might not fight

Again yeah or worse than that couple times yeah worse worse man [ __ ] man and uh do do you feel like that’s like how do you not you know cuz you know like the next one might not go your way how how do you make sure that that never happens

Again I don’t know I don’t know dude I don’t know is that scary yeah it is it’s very scary did you talk to aist I I try to like yeah yeah I try to like to look at things a little bit different you know like fighting is just

Something I do that kind of mindset because fighting was was everything to me it was my whole life like I judged who I was but on by fighting it was my it was a 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 gatei lost when I was going through all this [ __ ] and like it’s just something I do fighting is part of my life it’s been a vehicle to get me in my family where I need to be to set up the foundation and help

People like it’s been a vehicle to get things in the right place but this is just something I do I can’t life goes on you know uh I feel like I’m kind of dancing around it um but like was it to the point where you were like worried about your own

Well-being yeah big time oh man and and do you feel like you’re out of that right now I am for sure yeah last the last two two two and a half months I’ve been out of that that Darkness okay have you talked to other fighters who have gone through this no but

Like whenever I saw vul you know talking and be kind of Express himself and being honest I I was like you know what that’s just we’re going through the same thing and who did you speak to like you said a therapist was it like a fight

Therapist no no not a fight therapist I started actually doing therapy after the fight okay and is that something you’re going to continue doing maybe not as frequently but yeah I I think it’s important to like open up and talk about how you feel you know we’re such in the spotlight and being

Tough guys all the time and stuff but we’re people too you know like that’s the part of the the mindset like Dustin the fighter but what about what about Dustin you know what about mehm um yeah like dude life is deep man yeah and fighting is something just something

I do um so some it’s good to tap in with yourself you know check in on yourself be good to yourself like my boy Theo says you got to be good to yourself man a great video of him celebrating I think he was in Australia celebrating your win

I saw that on H social media so obviously you are loved and uh we appreciate you man uh thank you for this I mean this the entertainment you provide to us is amazing but just knowing you as a person like it’s impossible not to be happy for you I was

Over the moon and that’s not because I was you know I’m supposed to be a journalist and unbias but like I’m a human being and I just was so freaking happy for you and I and I like benois a lot but it’s just a different connection

And I knew I didn’t know that you were going through that but I knew how hard the gatei fight was and uh it was amazing to see you in that in that Spotlight Winter Circle doing your thing so uh thank you as always for the time

Much love enjoy the victory I toast you uh Celsius as well shout out to them for setting this up for us much love and uh enjoy the win my man you deserve all the good in the world so I hope you never go through that again and you’re able to

Just enjoy great times with your family because you’re you’re a blessed man blessed by the most high for sure I am man I uh I’m very very appreciative of the journey and the experiences of Life man when you step back like everybody listening try that take a day

Out where you you step back from from being in the spotlight being in the Moment Like step back and just take a deep breath and like wow you know we’re we’re fortunate we get to live this life and appreciate things and experience things the hurt the bad the good you

Know it’s incredible man when you look at it that way amen much love Dustin thank you so much enjoy the win enjoy the time at home I hope you took the money line Ariel for sure there he is DP uh just a man what a guy thanks for watching we

Appreciate it very much hey if you like this video give us the old thumbs up subscribe as well you can get many more of these videos on the channel so please do that we would love you forever if you did so