UFC 299 perhaps had one of the best cards ever. One of the highlights of the pay-per-view was Dustin Poirier‘s knockout win over Benoit Saint-Denis. UFC commentator Joe Rogan believes that the win can be credited to the former interim champion’s advantage in one aspect of his fighting style, his stand-up game.
Dustin Poirier’s KO win over Benoit Saint-Denis has spurred speculations regarding a potential title fight against Islam Makhachev, which Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier claims is the fight to make. Some fans and pros believe that Poirier would be an excellent opponent for the reigning 155-pound champion, and Joe Rogan has pointed out ‘The Diamond’s strong suit after witnessing his UFC 299 fight.
Joe Rogan credits Dustin Poirier for his striking prowess
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Heading into UFC 299, Joe Rogan knew what Benoit Saint-Denis was all about. During a recent episode of the JRE podcast, Rogan said, “My thoughts on that fight going in was that dude is a dangerous grappler. He’s a judo black belt, started out [as a] f***ing French special forces guy.”
Although Benoit-Saint Denis had his advantages, Dustin Poirier was not an easy fight by any means. Joe Rogan mentioned that the stand-up game the former interim light champion had was his strongest weapon. “He’s a dangerous motherf***er, but Poirier has an advantage [in] stand-up,” the 56-year-old continued.
The BJJ black belt mentioned how long Dustin Poirier has been fighting. Hence, the experience would always come into play. Moreover, Rogan claimed that ‘The Diamond’s experience has made his distance management better than most fighters in the UFC. “In stand-up, you can’t bridge that gap that quickly… He’s been doing standup since he was a little kid,” the long-time UFC commentator added. Besides having a good stand-up game, Rogan also emphasized the prowess of Poirier’s striking skills.
‘The Diamond’ has “wicked” striking
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MMA fighters are either grapplers, wrestlers, or strikers. Dustin Poirier is a striker and a pretty good one at that. As such, Joe Rogan claimed his impressive leg kicks, among other striking skills, are hard to compete against. The 56-year-old further stated, “Everything is wicked [about Poirier]. His leg kicks are wicked, his striking is wicked. You can’t beat him.”
Rogan did not forget to add that one of the biggest advantages a fighter can have during 5-round fights is stamina. Dustin Poirier’s stamina, according to the JRE host, is unmatched, and that has always given him an edge since he’s been in the deep end in several fights. “You get into the second, third, fourth round, you start making fundamental, like tactical mistakes… and those guys have been in hell. Like, Poirier’s been in hell… so many times,” Rogan added.
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Dustin Poirier is a bona fide legend at this point in his career. 30 fights into his UFC career, he still has his eyes on the lightweight gold. At 35 years of age, this could be his last chance to become the undisputed champion in the division where he spent most of his career in fighting. Will he have the aforementioned advantages against Makhachev in a fight? Let us know in the comments.
Also Read: UFC News: Islam Makhachev Denies Dustin Poirier His Title Shot in June