Dustin Poirier
It’s likely a dream for to be headlining your first major mixed martial arts event at twenty-three years old, but UFC featherweight Dustin ‘The Diamond’ Poirier (12-1) will do just that next Tuesday (May 15, 2012) when he faces ‘The Korean Zombie’ Chan Sung Jung in the main event of UFC on FUEL TV 3.
Poirier could potentially go 5-0 in the Octagon and it’s something that “means everything” to the Louisiana fighter, who carries a five fight win streak into the televised main event.
A win for ‘The Diamond’ would certainly put him into title contention especially after the recent announcement by the UFC naming Erik Koch as the number one contender. To put things in perspective, Koch is just 2-0 in the UFC and is on a four fight win streak.
In a recent interview with MMAMania.com, Poirier talks about the importance of this fight with ‘The Korean Zombie’, Koch earning the title shot over him and others in the division, his “tunnel vision” when it comes to training and more. Be sure to hit the link to read Part 1 of the interview.
Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): You mentioned that tunnel vision, that obsession that you have with your opponent once you know who it is. Can you tell me about what that’s like where you’ve got your opponent on your mind 24/7. Is it tough to take a break from it?
Dustin Poirier: It doesn’t go away until the fight’s over with. I’m a madman. I’m a crazy person. All I think about is fighting. All I do is thinking about winning this fight, what happens if I win this fight, the years of work and dedication that I’ve put in to get to this point, taking a couple of steps back after this fight with a loss or taking a leap forward with a win. Going 5-0 in the UFC means everything to me.
This fight, getting my hand raised means everything to me and there’s nothing else I want to be doing on May 15th except winning, fighting and winning. I’m intense. It’s all or nothign with everything I do. When I get ready and I find out who I’m fighting and I start getting emotions, I lock myself away from the world. I’m at the gym all day. That’s just the kind of person I am. These last three months have been a 12 week training camp. It’s been 85 days.These last three months I’ve been either at the gym or at my house.
My wife and I pass each other up. She’s going to school, I’m here in the morning, I’m here at night. It’s like I’m living in my own world. I don’t hang out with my mom or my brother and I don’t hang out with family or friends that often in person even though we’re in the same town. I’m committed 100 percent to any fight that I’m in.