DUSTIN POIRIER HAS admitted that he was reluctant to accept a fight against Joseph Duffy until he heard it was being pencilled in for a headlining slot.
Poirier and Duffy will lock horns in the main event of UFC Fight Night 77 at Dublin’s 3Arena on Saturday, 24 October.
Currently ranked 13th in the UFC’s lightweight division, Poirier told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour that he initially wasn’t keen when offered a bout with Duffy, who’s just two fights into his UFC career and has yet to crack the rankings.
However, things changed when the 26-year-old American was assured that the fight would top the bill for the UFC’s eagerly-anticipated return to Ireland.
“When I first heard about it, I didn’t know we were going to be main event and I was like, ah, I really would rather be on the Houston card (UFC 192 on 3 October). My hometown where I grew up is four hours from Houston, Daniel Cormier is on the card and it would just have been like another homecoming almost for me.
“It would have been nice, maybe I could get a ranked opponent on the Houston card. But then they told me [the Duffy fight] was going to be the main event and big things happen after main event fights.
“I feel like in the future I’m going to be fighting a lot of five-rounders, so it was just part of the growing process for my career and I was super excited when I found out it was going to be the main event.”
Poirier insisted that there was no hesitation about fighting in Ireland based on his previous experiences with Irish fans, dating back to last September’s fight against Conor McGregor.
The Louisiana native was tormented on social media in the build-up to — and aftermath of — his first-round TKO defeat. However, his relationship with those fans appears to have been mended in the meantime.
“When I found out we were going out there, behind enemy lines, and fighting another guy who’s got a lot of eyes on him, it was exciting for me,” said Poirier.
“Across social media — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram — Irish fans have been reaching out to me and sending me positive stuff. It’s been pretty cool. Of course, you have a few jerks and guys talking crap but for the most part it’s been a lot of positive stuff. People are excited to see me come to Dublin and throw down. That gets me pumped up as well.
“I think the true fight fans out there in Ireland know the true fighters and guys who are going to come out there and put everything on the line. They appreciate that and, of course, they know I’m one of those guys.”
As for the fight itself, Poirier said he’s been impressed by what he’s seen from Duffy so far, but he’s not reading too much into the Donegal native’s undefeated seven-fight stint as a professional boxer in 2013.
Poirier: “He looks good. Of course, his boxing looks good and his submission game looks good too. For being a boxer, most of his wins in his MMA career have been submissions. He looks like he’s pretty slick there.
“I really feel like I can submit him or knock him out. I think I’m a better wrestler than him. For being a boxer, it’s not like he’s been knocking guys out; even in his boxing record. I’m not the type to talk trash or anything about the guy.
“His hands do look good but it looks like he fought all bums when he was boxing, so that’s not that impressive to me as a fighter. As a fan, maybe people will saw ‘wow, the guy’s an undefeated boxer’, but nobody he fought had a winning record, I don’t think.
“Like I said, I’m not talking trash, I’m just spitting facts. I would have beaten all of those guys as well, I’ve been working on my boxing a lot. If he wants to box, we can box, and I’ll put on a show for the fans.”
