Diego Ferreira: Dustin Poirier ‘mentally breaks easily’

Diego Ferreira wants to “break” Dustin Poirier at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 63.

Poirier returns to the lightweight division after an 8-3 run as a featherweight in the UFC, but Ferreira is eager to get back to the win column after suffering the first loss of his professional career in October.

“(Poirier) is really tough. He fought at 155 before and cut down to 145, and now he’s back. It’s a good fight for me,” Ferreira told MMAFighting.com. “I need to win this fight because I have to prove to myself that I belong in this division. It’s a good test for me. It’s going to be a tough fight, but I’m ready.”

Poirier decided to move back to lightweight after suffering the first first-round loss of his career by the hands of Conor McGregor in September, and Ferreira plans on doing the same with “The Diamond” at Saturday’s event in Fairfax.

“That fight taught me a lot because it showed me that he gets affected when an opponent gets into his head,” Ferreira said. “I watched that fight a lot because it showed me some details I will work on the fight. I will go straight forward. McGregor studied him a lot and showed that (Poirier) mentally breaks easily.”

“McGregor finished it fast, and that’s what I want to do,” he added. “I’m going there to tap him quickly. I will finish him.”

Unlike McGregor, Ferreira is not the type of fighter that talks a lot before the fights. So, how does he plan on “breaking” Poirier mentally before the fight?

“I’m not this type of guy that talks a lot, but I have my methods,” he said. “I will go there and leave the Octagon pretty fast. I will do my thing and win fast.”

Ferreira, who lost to Beneil Dariush at UFC 179, decided to move from Silverback Fight Club to Octagon MMA for his next fights. The loss wasn’t the only reason that made him switch camps, but was an important one.

“It was not only because of the loss, I already wanted to find a new camp for me, but the loss was definitely one of the reasons,” he said. “I’m training at Octagon MMA now. I train with guys like Sean Spencer, Matt Hobar and Damon Jackson, and they are helping me a lot.

“(The loss) taught me to never take a fight on short notice again and to focus on my wrestling,” he continued. “I took the fight on three weeks’ notice and couldn’t do what I wanted. He just kept trying to take me down.”

Diego Ferreira wants to “break” Dustin Poirier at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 63.

Poirier returns to the lightweight division after an 8-3 run as a featherweight in the UFC, but Ferreira is eager to get back to the win column after suffering the first loss of his professional career in October.

“(Poirier) is really tough. He fought at 155 before and cut down to 145, and now he’s back. It’s a good fight for me,” Ferreira told MMAFighting.com. “I need to win this fight because I have to prove to myself that I belong in this division. It’s a good test for me. It’s going to be a tough fight, but I’m ready.”

Poirier decided to move back to lightweight after suffering the first first-round loss of his career by the hands of Conor McGregor in September, and Ferreira plans on doing the same with “The Diamond” at Saturday’s event in Fairfax.

“That fight taught me a lot because it showed me that he gets affected when an opponent gets into his head,” Ferreira said. “I watched that fight a lot because it showed me some details I will work on the fight. I will go straight forward. McGregor studied him a lot and showed that (Poirier) mentally breaks easily.”

“McGregor finished it fast, and that’s what I want to do,” he added. “I’m going there to tap him quickly. I will finish him.”

Unlike McGregor, Ferreira is not the type of fighter that talks a lot before the fights. So, how does he plan on “breaking” Poirier mentally before the fight?

“I’m not this type of guy that talks a lot, but I have my methods,” he said. “I will go there and leave the Octagon pretty fast. I will do my thing and win fast.”

Ferreira, who lost to Beneil Dariush at UFC 179, decided to move from Silverback Fight Club to Octagon MMA for his next fights. The loss wasn’t the only reason that made him switch camps, but was an important one.

“It was not only because of the loss, I already wanted to find a new camp for me, but the loss was definitely one of the reasons,” he said. “I’m training at Octagon MMA now. I train with guys like Sean Spencer, Matt Hobar and Damon Jackson, and they are helping me a lot.

“(The loss) taught me to never take a fight on short notice again and to focus on my wrestling,” he continued. “I took the fight on three weeks’ notice and couldn’t do what I wanted. He just kept trying to take me down.”