Poirier’s Gameplan: ‘Bleeding, Hurting, Suffering’

I’m not sure how I feel about celebrating this attitude after posting the Spencer Fisher story, but longtime UFC 155-pound contender Dustin Poirier — like so many lightweights before him — is only worried about one thing when the cage door closes.

Going to war.

That’s why Poirier expects to be bleeding like a stuck pig within 60 seconds of the opening frame. The Louisianan also plans to see if Conor McGregor has the chops to drip blood, hurt, and suffer when fists start flying in the UFC 257 headliner on Jan. 23 in Abu Dhabi.

“If you’re talking about game plan, what I want is for both of us to be dripping blood and hurting and suffering early in the fight, then we can find out who’s the real fighter,” Poirier told This Past Weekend with Theo Von (transcribed by Tom Taylor). “That’s what I want. I want to be bleeding with a minute off the first round clock.”

Poirier (26-6, 1 NC) was stopped by McGregor at the UFC 178 pay-per-view event back in late 2014 and will first have to prove he can stand and trade with the power-punching Irishman now that both combatants have moved up from featherweight.

“I want us both to be bleeding and really have to dig down and see who’s the better fighter and see who really wants to be in there, because I don’t have a safety net,” Poirier continued. “I want to be in there and I know that. I know that and I’d like to find out if he does.”

We’ll find out in less than two weeks.