Dustin Poirier Says Aerobic Capacity and Cardio Helped Him Beat One of the Best Boxers in MMA

Dustin Poirier is arguably one of the finest fighters to ever grace the octagon. The fact that he is UFC’s number one lightweight contender further strengthens his argument. In his illustrious MMA career, the fighter holds a record of 27-6-0, 1 NC. ‘The Diamond’ has competed against the finest in the UFC and has come out on top more often than not.

Poirier recently came on as a guest in an interview with Patrick Bet-David. During the interview, the ‘Diamond’ expressed gratitude to his former opponent, Max Holloway, who is considered one of the best boxers in the history of MMA.

‘The Diamond’ stated, “His pace is hard to keep up with. Fortunately for me, I work hard to keep my aerobic capacity and my cardio and muscle endurance. But I have a natural gift. I am thankful for it…I was able to keep up with his pace and make him make mistakes. He was the current world champion at the time, moved up in weight, and I beat him. In there I felt his understanding of combat sports and I felt his knowledge and his skill set. He’s an incredible fighter.”

READ MORE: “If Anybody Can Come Back From That It’s Him”- Dustin Poirier Says He Doesn’t Hate Conor McGregor for What He’s Done

Dustin Poirier and his fights against Max Holloway

Poirier and Holloway have fought each other two times. The first was in a featherweight contest at UFC 143 in 2012. While this was Poirier’s fourth fight in the UFC, it was Holloway’s promotional debut. Poirier won the fight with an impressive first-round triangle submission.

Their next fight was at UFC 236. On this occasion, Holloway stepped up to the lightweight division, in the quest to become a double champion. In a fight that went the distance, the featherweight champion saw his 13-fight win streak snapped.

Poirier had outclassed ‘Blessed’ throughout the bout and took advantage of being the naturally heavier fighter. Despite going down, Holloway displayed tremendous bravery and earned ‘The Diamond’s respect.

WATCH THIS STORY: Georges St-Pierre Net Worth: Biggest Cash Grabs of the MMA GOAT In and Out of the UFC