‘The Diamond’ is not looking for a quick win, he’s looking for a solid win.
Dustin Poirier was ready to face another Irishman in his hometown but concussion – to Joe Duffy – scuppered that brave move.
The 26-year-old, who was knocked out by Conor McGregor in 2014, has since moved up to lightweight and, on Saturday, will take on the last man to defeat The Notorious at UFC 195.
Ahead of his re-scheduled encounter with Duffy, Poirier caught up with the hosts of MMA Junkie Radio for a chat.
Asked about Duffy, the American said, “He seems like a nice guy. I spoke to him in Dublin… yeah, he’s a cool guy.”
Poirier, who is in great shape for UFC 195, was accepting of Duffy’s late withdrawal from UFC Dublin but is not expecting any surprises ahead of their weekend bout.
He said, “Hey, he’s here and he can’t pull out now… I guess he can’t.”
The Irish fighter is renowned for his wrestling technique and his array of submission moves, whereas Poirier regards himself as more of a striker. He harked back to Jose Aldo’s loss to McGregor as a warning not to chase an early KO.
“I can’t throw a leaping hook like Jose Aldo… [Our styles] will meet in the middle… Joe ain’t going to take me down, so that [tapping out] is not going to happen.”
Aldo was KO’d by McGregor as he tried to knock the Irishman’s block off 13 seconds into their fight. McGregor reacted with a swift cross and the fight was over.
One Vegas bookmaker has Poirier listed as the +180 underdog for his fight with the Donegal native.
Poirier responded, “He must be drunk!
“I want to make some money off of it [the odds]. It doesn’t bother me. It’s not going to change the fight.
“It’s a good opportunity for people to make some money.”
