‘If I’m Not At War With A Fight, I’m At War With Myself’

“Idle hands are a devil’s playground and you gotta stay busy and we gotta stay moving forward and working towards something.”

Dustin Poirier keeps it real.

The Lightweight division in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is loaded with talented fighters and personalities. Amongst the bunch is Louisiana’ “Diamond,” Poirier, who recently sat back and enjoyed the division’s title fight at UFC 294 last month (Oct. 21, 2023).

A late notice change saw the original title challenger, Charles Oliveira, removed from his shot at redemption opposite the champion, Islam Makhachev, after suffering a cut in training. Therefore, Poirier found himself potentially in the mix as he received a call to step in. Ultimately, the promotion went with its Featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski, who took a tough loss via first round knockout (watch highlights).

“Incredible performance by Islam and incredible self-belief and commitment from Alexander Volkanovski to take it on short notice and go out there and put it on the line in front of the world,” Poirier told MMA Mania. “We know that anything can happen at any time when we sign our names on those contracts against dangerous opponents and the world’s gonna be watching. So you just have to try your best to take it in stride even though sometimes it hurts and you feel down and everything feels against you but if you can be a student, pick things out, prepare for the future better, that’s not only what fighting but life’s about.”

Volkanovski surprised the mixed martial arts (MMA) community with an emotional post-fight press conference, highlighting his mental struggles before he received the opportunity for his Makhachev rematch. Poirier recently found himself in a similar spot, losing his Baddest Motherf—ker (BMF) title rematch with Justin Gaethje at UFC 291 in July 2022. It wasn’t the first time “The Diamond” has battled through adversity, and after seeing and hearing from Volkanovski, it was a sobering reminder.

“I think every fighter who’s all in has some sort of that going on,” Poirier said. “I’ve been vocal and public about it that if I’m not at war with a fight or something, I’m at war with myself. That’s the truth. Hearing him say it reassures me that it’s not just me. That’s the competitive nature, that’s our mindset with a lot of people and we need to be battling something. Like I said, if it’s not an opponent or a date or a business move, it’s myself. For me, in particular.

“Idle hands are a devil’s playground and you gotta stay busy and we gotta stay moving forward and working towards something,” he continued. “That downtime after fights where you don’t know what’s next, it gives your brain time to just wonder and overthink and that’s not good. Think long, think wrong, man. That’s why I just try my best to stay busy.”

The future is uncertain for Poirier in the Octagon as he gears up to enjoy a visit to the Mr. Olympia expo in Orlando, Florida. The former interim titleholder has no specific plan for his return, he’s just continuing to wait for another call from UFC with that dangerous and exciting name that he feels is right.

As a staple of the Lightweight division, Poirier has toyed with the idea of possible fights in the 170-pound Welterweight division, but that idea is off the table at present with him walking around 172 pounds. While he waits, Poirier will continue to strengthen his tools and get to add in a new routine element with his partner, Celsius’, new release of the Celsius Essential product line.

“The new one is exactly what I need for something like this morning or something like a strength and conditioning workout,” Poirier said of Celsius Essentials. “It has a little bit more caffeine, amino acids, and it can really be a pre-workout. I was using the normal stuff, the everyday line, I was using before jiu-jitsu or a light boxing, mitt workout, things like that. Just for a little kick, a little boost. This new stuff I’m gonna use as an actual pre-workout before strength and conditioning and things like that.”