Dustin Poirier Had to Find Internal Motivation to Face ‘Young Lion’ Benoit St. Denis

Dustin Poirier had to have some profound conversations with himself going into his UFC 299 clash against Benoit St. Denis.

After extending his finish streak to five with a brutal-head kick knockout over Matt Frevola, St. Denis aimed high with a callout of Poirier. While “The Diamond” was initially dismissive of the callout, he was taken by surprise when the UFC offered him the fight.

As one of the biggest stars of the sport, Poirier had to seriously consider why he would accept the booking against a dangerous up-and-comer. While he almost knew all along that he would accept the booking, Poirier found motivation in the need to test himself.

“I was more surprised when they offered it to me,” he told ESPN. “I thought it was gonna be another legend in the fight game or a former champion, something you know that’s gonna be big. Not that this isn’t big. That’s why I flipped it you know. Personally I had to flip it, like ‘What’s my motivation, why am I gonna do this?’ Just to fight? Because I don’t know what else to do with my time. Am I fighting for money? I know I’m not fighting for money, money is great. But why am I getting up and running these miles and getting beat up the gym and pushing myself and going to sleep hungry, and why am I doing that?

“I thought deeply about it before coming to training camp and when I committed to this fight. And the answer to all those questions is, to test myself. Thirty fights in the UFC, let me fight this young man who has fire in his eyes, he’s a young lion who’s finishing people. Let me put myself in front of his guy and see what happens. I know I still have it but I wanna prove it to myself.”

While he has been a perennial top contender at 155 pounds, undisputed gold has evaded Poirier despite two title shots. “The Diamond” isn’t desperate for a shot right now and wants to solely focus on Saturday’s challenge. With a career spanning over 15 years already, Poirier also acknowledges that the show is nearing its end. Despite his immense love for the sport, which takes away a part of him almost every time he competes, Poirier can’t choose it over his loved ones.

“I know it’s coming. I can’t do this forever. I’m 35 years old, this is my 40th professional fight, I have a lot of amateur fights as well,” he said. “You know I have a family to be there for and I can’t love something so much that --- because every time I get in there – Saturday night a piece of me is gonna leave that I can never get back. And I have come to terms with that. And sometimes it’s not that way but 95% of the time it is that way. Just the way I fight and the kind of fights I get involved in. And I understand that, but I can’t love something so much where it takes away from what’s most important. Fighting is just something I do.”