Dustin Poirier will tackle former Ultimate Fighting Championship and Bellator MMA lightweight titleholder Eddie Alvarez in a much-anticipated rematch when they face off in the UFC on Fox 30 main event this Saturday in Calgary, Alberta. Poirier has operated on the periphery of title contention for years, and a win over Alvarez could vault him to the top of the list at 155 pounds.
‘Diamond’ in the Rough
Poirier in his early days was an ultra-aggressive striker with power rarely seen in the featherweight division. He retains those traits but has learned to keep his aggression under control to sustain a constant pace throughout the fight. He tries to keep his opponents on their back foot and will use intelligent pressure and aggressiveness to wear them down. Poirier thrives under pressure. Many fighters can get flustered when trading in the pocket or dealing with an aggressive opponent. Poirier is the exact opposite. He excels in fast-paced environments and has proven comfortable trading in the pocket.
Aggressive blitzes with no concern for defense or pace defined Poirier as a young fighter. It worked wonders for him early in his career, but as he worked his way up the ranks and fought increasingly better opposition, he had to tone it down and evolve into the more tactical striker we see today.
Although wild exchanges in the pocket are not advised at the highest levels, Poirier is an exception. He thrives when backing his opponents to the cage, where he can fire off a wide variety of combos to overwhelm them. What makes Poirier so dangerous in these moments is his odd calmness under pressure. During these sequences, his opponents are visibly flustered, but Poirier’s expression never changes and you can see the differences in the strikes. Poirier’s are tactical and calculated, while his opponents’ are wild and loose.
Another key to Poirier’s success on the feet is the switch hitting he has developed later in his career. He often throws a left straight from southpaw and keeps the arm outstretched while shifting to orthodox to hide the switch. Now, the straight he just threw becomes his lead hand and allows him to throw jabs or lead hooks to set up his rear right hand. If the switch goes unnoticed, it allows Poirier to land strikes from an angle and stance the opponent did not know was possible.
Although known as a leading attacker, Poirier has a good combo countering game. Instead of countering with a single power strike, Poirier elects to counter with a 2-3 strike combination. Poirier usually does not slow down enough for his opponents to have the room to come forward first, but when they do he makes them pay.
In his first fight with Alvarez, Poirier was putting together the best performance of his career and looked like he was ready for a championship opportunity. Unfortunately, a couple of illegal knees from Alvarez resulted in a no-contest, which could cause even more urgency between the two in the rematch. Expect Poirier to come out with guns blazing to prove once again he is superior to Álvarez; and expect Alvarez to be at his best, as he attempts to show the first fight was a fluke and that he was about to author a classic comeback before connecting with the knees.
Poirier’s grappling may not be talked about much, but he is one of the most well-rounded fighters in the UFC. When he cannot get the job done on the feet, he is not afraid to take the fight to the mat and throw ground-and-pound from full guard instead of fighting for position. Also, remember that Poirier once submitted current featherweight champion Max Holloway with a brilliant mounted triangle armbar.