Top UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier did something quite out of the ordinary some time back. He is well-known for his grappling skills but to submit a World’s Strongest Man’ championship winner is something else. Poirier did exactly that when he met strongman Brian Shaw on his podcast. Poirier and Shaw had some friendly grappling later on and the UFC star managed to submit Shaw.
Considering Shaw stands at 6’8” that is quite an accomplishment. In fact, many MMA experts and grappling aficionados were marveling at Poirier’s ability.
However, there was a doubt in everyone’s mind that Poirier himself decided to clear up. He spoke on that grappling session with Yahoo! Sports.
“That’s not the full video, he taps me out later on by just putting his weight on top of me,” Poirier said. “He’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met but a huge individual. He’s a giant. It was fun, he has no grappling experience, but just his strength and size just to get my legs around him to take his back, to hang onto him, he’s such a huge human being. It was a good experience.”
That being said, Poirier held his own against a giant much larger than him. This proves his skill level and shows why he is a veteran of UFC’s featherweight and lightweight divisions.
What’s Next for Dustin Poirier in the UFC?
Dustin Poirier has been in title contention for the UFC lightweight crown for some time now. This is arguably the most stacked division in the UFC at the moment. It includes greats like current lightweight champ Islam Makhachev, Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje, Michael Chandler and others.
Poirier is set to face Michael Chandler at UFC 281 and a win here might move him closer to title contention. Plus, with Conor McGregor planning a return to action in 2023 and Alexander Volkanovski set to face Makhachev in early 2023, the stakes will be higher than ever for a Poirier win.
