Scouting Report: Dustin Poirier

Lev PisarskyJul 28, 2023

Dustin Poirier

Born: Jan. 19, 1989 (Age: 34) in Lafayette, Louisiana
Division: Lightweight
Height: 5’9”
Reach: 73”
Record: 29-7 (21-6 UFC)
Association: American Top Team
Stage of Career: Post-Prime

Summary: Poirier has cemented himself as one of the greatest lightweights of all-time. His striking is outstanding, as he possesses rare knockout power in both hands. All of his punches are stellar—it all begins with his heavy jab—and he throws them as part of beautiful combinations. He fires a terrific cross and hook, and the fact the he is a southpaw makes his attack even trickier. Poirier’s kicks are also excellent. His leg kicks are sudden, unpredictable and hard, and those he aims at the body have every quality one could desire. While his head kicks are not quite as potent, he can chain them to his punches. The best aspect of his standup may be his footwork and movement, and he has the cardio to compete at a high pace for five rounds. An iron chin and proven recuperative powers complete the package. In the clinch, he excels with a powerful knee to the body and short hooks, creating space with effective hand fighting. Poirier features solid takedowns, along with the ability to climb to the back and sink rear-naked chokes or deliver punishing ground-and-pound. Only top-shelf grapplers have managed to expose him on the mat.

STRIKING

• Stance: Southpaw.
• Hand Speed: Average.
• Jab: Hard, sudden and technical but lacks some speed.
• Cross: Accurate and fast, with genuine knockout power.
• Right Hook: Short, powerful and thrown with solid rotation.
• Overhand Left: Rarely throws it.
• Uppercuts: Almost never uses them.
• Solitary Striker or Volume Puncher: Fires punches in bunches and does so exceedingly well.
• Favorite Combination(s): A technical, accurate and powerful one-two, which he throws harmoniously.
• Knees: A beautifully timed weapon he unleashes when opponents are moving in.
• Leg Kicks: Fires them with suddenness and from unexpected angles, all while keeping his hands up.
• Body Kicks: Fast, hard and sudden, and his southpaw stance only enhances their effectiveness.
• Head Kicks: Solid and technical but not exceptional in terms of speed or power.
• Chains Kicks to Punches: Yes, primarily with head kicks.

Few lightweights can match Poirier in the standup department. His excellent jab sets up a slow of exquisite combinations. He covers all the bases with a deadly left cross and a terrific right hook. Moreover, Poirier carries power in both hands—a rare quality. Excellent kicks compliment his boxing. Those he fires at the legs are difficult to anticipate, on top of being accurate and hard; and his body kicks out of the southpaw stance have all the qualities one could want. Fantastic movement, footwork and instincts allow him to check all the boxes.

CLINCH

• Physical Strength: A big, powerful lightweight who can hold his own with anyone other than truly exceptional grapplers.
• Technique: Understands all the basic positions.
• Knees: Utilizes a fast, powerful knee to the body at close range.
• Elbows: Does not use them.
• Defense Against Knees/Elbows: Outstanding.

Poirier remains a dangerous striker in the clinch, where his excellent knees and powerful hooks often come into play. He creates space through effective hand fighting and leans on stellar takedown defense that only top-shelf grapplers can break down.

GRAPPLING

• Wrestling from a Shot: Features nice double- and single-legs, which he can use reactively. He has managed to bring down opponents with otherwise stellar takedown defense, like Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway.
• Wrestling in the Clinch: Favors his double-leg here, and while it has been less effective than when he catches opponents off-guard, he has grounded a number of others in this scenario, Jim Miller included.
• Takedown Defense: Sound. It has taken the kind of power and speed Michael Chandler possesses or the relentless chain wrestling of Khabib Nurmagomedov to get him down.
• Ability to Return to Feet: Superb, provided he can do so immediately, as he instantly pivots to his side and hip escapes. He struggled at times against Chandler—perhaps a sign that age has begun to affect him.
• Submissions: He has shown the ability to transition to the back neatly, and he was good enough to finish a fatigued Chandler via rear-naked choke. Poirier also flirted with a finish of Nurmagomedov with a tight guillotine choke.
• Defense/Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from the Bottom: He can be vulnerable to ground-and-pound when he looks to escape, and he often leaves his back open to being taken when he gets up. However, he excels at turn into his opponent when threatened.
• Top Control: Limited, as he only loosely tries to address the hips.
• Ground-and-Pound: Throws powerful punches, utilizes his body well and fires off competent short-range elbows on occasion.

While he generally depends on his striking, Poirier can use his grappling as a weapon when the right situation arises. His takedowns are solid and his ability to take the back leads into opportunities for rear-naked chokes and heavy ground-and-pound. Because of his limited top control, most opponents are able to return to their feet after being taken down. Defensively, Poirier either stops the takedown or scrambles back to an upright position soon after. While he sometimes has issues with ground-and-pound, only elite grapplers have managed to expose his vulnerabilities on the mat.

INTANGIBLES

• Athleticism/General Physical Strength: Fairly powerful and dynamic.
• Cardio: Fights at a high pace, manages to find his second wind and avoids getting significantly winded, even in five-round bouts.
• Chin: Outside of Michael Johnson catching him with a perfect shot, he has shown the ability to absorb powerful blows with seemingly little effect.
• Recuperative Powers: Poirier has recovered quickly whenever he has been hurt or wobbled.
• Intelligence: He has shown tangible improvements and made necessary adjustments throughout his career. The Louisiana native adopts and follows solid gameplans.