DUSTIN POIRIER’S UFC career isn’t going to last forever. As much as fans would enjoy seeing the Louisiana Diamond swagger to the Octagon with James Brown’s ‘The Boss’ ringing throughout the arena on every main card – the coolest walkout song of all time, we might add – the former champ has alluded that retirement is now on the table.
If there’s ever a way to go out, it’s against the best, and his UFC 302 main-event opponent Islam Makhachev more than fits that description. A champion fighter, with a typical Dagestan approach to combat, Makhachev attacks his opponents in a nightmarish mix of wrestling and grappling.
Poirier’s task is to find a weaknesses in Makhachev’s game, a feat demonstrated previously by fighters like Alexander Volkanovski in their initial encounters with the Russian champion. However, this endeavour will demand an extraordinary effort from Poirier.
Assessing Poirier’s preparation for UFC 302 is a challenge in itself, as his training camp has been somewhat shrouded in secrecy. Nevertheless, glimpses of his readiness can be gleaned from past camps, such as his preparation to face Khabib Nurmagomedov. Interestingly, Nurmagomedov, now in Makhachev’s corner, adds another layer of intrigue to this weekend’s bout.
Dustin Poirier’s workout routine
Poirier’s preparation for Makhachev will no doubt be similar to the prep he put in against Nurmagomedov. Both Khabib and Islam fight the same way; they love to wrestle and suck the energy out of their opponent’s body. For them, it’s a simple fight when they keep it on the ground. Poirier’s cardio and conditioning will need to be in overdrive to prevent exactly that.
For this fight, Poirier has been training out of his usual American Top Team gym, and if his approach is the same for Islam as it was for Khabib, he’ll have followed a six-day-a-week program, training twice a day, resting on Sunday.
His Khabib prep involved dedicating Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to specific training for boxing, wrestling, and jiu-jitsu. Keeping up his high-paced training style, on those same days, Poirier would then follow his combat training with rounds of strength and conditioning in the evenings. Incorporating bodyweight exercises, primarily box jumps, flipping a tractor tyre, sled pushing with added weight, and resistance band training.
Tuesdays and Thursdays were strictly reserved for rounds of groundwork in the morning and evening hard-sparring sessions that involved as much wrestling, kickboxing, and UFC-related training as possible.
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Poirier’s training camp against Nurmagomedov had his coaches bringing in wrestlers from all over the world to help him prepare for what was a mauling, nonstop-pressure style of fight. Poirier’s fight against Islam this Sunday will no doubt have him following the same grinding training style, spending long hours escaping tight holds and keeping his standing balance to avoid that inevitable takedown.
Poirier’s coach has spoken about how the workouts designed to combat Nurmagomedov were all about increasing core stability and strength, making sure his fighter was elusive inside the Octagon. It’s safe to say this approach will again be on display this Sunday.
Poirier’s weight cutting diet
Poirier previously described an example daily meal plan during training camp in an interview with Men’s Journal.
Breakfast
- 1x cup of kale with eight egg whites
- Strawberries and blueberries
- Oatmeal
Post training snack
- Plant-based protein shake
Lunch
- 115g of chicken
- 115g of avocado
- Two handfuls of spinach
- Almonds
Second post-training snack
- Plant-based protein shake/fruit shake with berries and flaxseed oils.
Can Dustin Poirier win?
A clear underdog in all facets, Poirier’s heart is his best chance of a win. Keeping Islam at bay and defending all possible takedowns might open up a window to start throwing a flurry of strikes, bringing the fight into Poirier’s preferred tempo and control.
How to watch the fight
UFC 302 will be live in Australia, streaming on Sunday June 2 with the main card fights starting from 12 pm AEST. Catch all the action on main event pay-per-view Foxtel or Kayo Sports.
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