D. Poirier in victory for the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
There are few athletes who manage to end their MMA careers undefeated. Some end up losing themselves when they suffer a setback and never return to the way they were. Dustin poirier is an example of how a fighter can learn in the face of a negative result and overcome adversity. In an interview with 'ESPN', the North American spoke about the episode in which he was beaten by Conor McGregor, in 2014, and what it was like to deal with the situation.
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“(Understanding the defeat better) began after the defeat to Conor McGregor. That was the beginning. It's been a long process. Being a father, losing again, winning one, losing again and winning another. It's a long evolution to stop caring so much. You just stop paying attention to the noise”, said the 'Diamond'.
The meeting against the Irishman took place when Dustin was still playing at featherweight (up to 65,7kg). At the time, both he and Conor promoted the fight a lot and even promoted a very tense confrontation.
In the fight, McGregor was superior and managed a knockout in the first round. One victory later, the Irishman would win the division's interim belt, against Chad Mendes and then shock the world by crashing José Aldo by the linear title.
After losing to the 'Notório', Poirier returned to lightweight (up to 70,3kg) and began his journey that would eventually earn him the interim belt in the category. There were 11 fights, 9 victories, one defeat and one unsuccessful match until the dream of being at the top became reality.
To achieve this feat, Dustin explained that he even changed the way he managed his relationship with the press and fans. According to him, the news ended up putting him in a pressure situation that was harmful in the face of a defeat.
“When I was younger, I thought it was life or death. All the comments on Instagram and Twitter, every journalist who said something, I thought they were all against me. I thought that if I lost, it would be the end of my career. 'I'll be a fool if I lose this match'. And then you miss a few appointments and realize, 'I can still recover. I'm still taking care of my family. I still love what I do'. It's like you're bent but not broken most of the time. I feel like it made me stronger and made me the person I am today. I’m happy, really”, he concluded.
Upon learning of his former rival's speech, McGregor took advantage and, in a simple but objective way, expressed his praise for the North American, who he recently defeated Dan Hooker in one of the most exciting fights of 2020.
“Respect,” Conor wrote in response.
Respect. https://t.co/SDNbCPRNec
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 2, 2020
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