D. Poirier (left) defeated C. McGregor (right) in the UFC 257. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
Considered one of the biggest stars in the history of MMA, Dustin poirier is approaching his final fight in the octagon. About to retire, the athlete is honing his arsenal to appear at UFC 318, in a trilogy against Max Holloway. Despite his long career, the veteran apparently didn't easily earn his biggest purses in Ultimate duels.
Open to talking about Poirier's trajectory in recent years as a UFC representative, Rob Roveta opened up and recalled the great rivalry experienced between his fighter and Conor McGregor in MMA. Winner of two of the three fights held in the octagon, the 'Diamond' not only knocked out the Irishman, but also kept him away from the sport until today.
See too
Despite McGregor's immense popularity and bargaining power, the famous "money fight" that many believe the Irishman offers is apparently not so easy. According to Roveta, Poirier had to gamble and trust in himself to secure a large payday and "perks" by facing the "Notorious" three times.
C. McGregor (left) was defeated by D. Poirier (right) in the UFC 257. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
"It certainly seemed like the odds were against us, and they saw him as a stepping stone to much bigger plans (for McGregor), at least that's how I saw it. The negotiations were complicated, and he definitely bet on himself, and obviously the back end of that worked out better than we could have imagined, so it all worked out. But it was very different from what anyone could have imagined."
"Everyone looking from the outside always thinks, 'Oh, this is his chance. He's going to fight the biggest star, he's going to make a lot of money, and his life is going to change forever.' Well, I can tell you the economics aren't like that. They're not like that for this particular fight. It's like, 'Hey, prove yourself, and once you prove yourself, you can have the back end and everything you want.' But you have to do it, and it's not an easy mountain to climb," Roveta said in an interview with MMA Junkie.
D. Poirier and C. McGregor facing each other before the UFC 264. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
At 36 years old, Poirier has decided to retire at UFC 318. Heading into his BMF title fight, the veteran expresses happiness in his farewell and guarantees that he will look for a great performance against his former victim in the octagon. The event takes place this Saturday (19) in Louisiana (USA), the place chosen to honor the fighter.
You need login To comment.