ABU DHABI – Coach Mike Brown sees an advantage in play for Dustin Poirier against Conor McGregor going into UFC 257.
Brown, who is Poirier’s (26-6 MMA, 18-5 UFC) head coach at American Top Team in Florida, doesn’t think there are many secrets entering Saturday’s main event rematch with McGregor (22-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC). He said they are preparing for all scenarios, but think it’s clear that the more minutes tick off the clock, the greater percentage his fighter wins.
“Anybody that knows this sport will realize quickly that the longer it goes, the better it is for Dustin,” Brown told MMA Junkie. “Conor’s obviously struggled with conditioning. This is not his strong suit. Obviously he’s got great timing, good power and good precision, a very good striker, but we’ve seen him more than once struggle with conditioning, and this is also Dustin’s strong suit. He’s got some of the best natural conditioning I’ve ever seen.
“He could be drinking beers and eating cheeseburgers and he can come off the couch and be sparring with world-class fighters that are peaking and he’s in better shape than them. He’s definitely got some gifts and a talent there, and it’s one of his gifts.”
But conditioning means little if a fight doesn’t go beyond the early rounds. McGregor stopped Poirier by knockout in less than two minutes in their first encounter at UFC 178 in September 2014. Brown said he can only put so much stock in that first bout because he knows from his personal relationship with Poirier he’s not the same man.
“A lot has changed,” Brown said. “So much has changed. They’re really different people at this point. Six years of development in a sport, you’re almost a completely different athlete. I would say besides all the technique and technical improvements, it’s mostly about the mindset – the ability to relax in certain situations and suppress emotion and things of this nature. I think this is really where the biggest changes are made, are major technical changes that we don’t want to get into too much.”
Although Brown doesn’t put much weight on Poirier’s first loss to McGregor, the outside world doesn’t see it the same way. One of the major narratives leading into fight night is how Poirier will mentally absorb what happened in the past. Brown admitted that’s an aspect that’s in play, but said it’s not something he can control as much as other elements involving his athlete.
“That’s not on me – that’s kind of on him in his own head,” Brown said. “I think he’s in a good place. I think he’s very confident. I think he believes in himself 100 percent, and that’s what’s most important. I think he knows he can win this fight, and he knows he’ll win this fight, and he has that mindset coming in. He’s in great shape and he’s ready.”
UFC 257 takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena on Yas Island. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
Brown has worked closely with Poirier as he’s risen up the ranks at 155 pounds to become interim champion, fight for the undisputed belt and more. He thinks the team has put together a good game plan to exact revenge over McGregor, and once again pointed to pace and conditioning as a potentially result-altering key.
“It’s a rematch of a blemish – he doesn’t have many of them – that he’d like to erase,” Brown said. “(McGregor) always comes with something new and something fresh and something different. Honestly, we see some technical holes in the game. But most importantly, we see a lot of what everybody sees: He definitely has a weakness in conditioning. That’s something we’d be smart to exploit if possible.
“(Poirier is) a guy that’s great conditioning, a volume puncher with big power in both hands and both legs, and it doesn’t go away. He can knock you out with either hand or either leg in Round 1 or Round 5, and it doesn’t go away. That’s what makes him the world-class monster that he is.”