Dustin Poirier’s American Top Team teammates have taken to his defense and blasted Arman Tsarukyan.
After Poirier suffered a fifth-round submission loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 302, Tsarukyan, the presumed No. 1 contender at lightweight, took aim at Poirier. Tsarukyan claimed Poirier was mentally broken and gave up in the fifth round.
“The first round went to Makhachev,” Tsarukyan told Outside MMA (via MMAMania). “I thought, ‘Damn, this Poirier is a complete sack.’ Then I saw that Poirier turned on, and Islam got tired and the fight became more interesting. Poirier surprised me. To be honest, I was more surprised by Islam, why he got tired so quickly and couldn’t fight.
“As we know, Islam doesn’t breathe that well in five round fights,” he continued. “This is the second five-round fight and he’s giving away the endings. I wonder where Islam found the strength to choke, but I have a feeling that Poirier just gave up. In terms of being mentally broken. There were 2.5 minutes left. Why are you giving up your neck? Well, endure it, get over it, do something, but don’t give up. There are 2.5 minutes left, your last fight, this is the most important and last fight in your life. You take it and just give it away. I wouldn’t just give it up.”
Following Tsarukyan’s comments, Dustin Poirier’s American Top Team teammate Mateusz Gamrot took to social media to blast him for his take.
“Arman is a bitch!,” Gamrot wrote on X.
Gamrot and Tsarukyan did fight back in 2022 and it was Gamrot who got a split decision win in a very competitive and entertaining five-round main event fight.
Mateusz Gamrot also wasn’t the only person from American Top Team to blast Arman Tsarukyan. Instead, Dustin Poirier’s boxing coach Dyah Davis blasted Tsarukyan and called Tsarukyan a fake guy.
dustin poirier’s coach responds https://t.co/M29DhWtG94 pic.twitter.com/7xdr9YT7NV
— Dovy
(@DovySimuMMA) June 6, 2024
(@DovySimuMMA)
“This guy, fake love and respect in the gym but the moment he has an opportunity to take a shot he goes for it. Bitch move, he a clown,” Davis said.
Currently, Tsarukyan has yet to respond to either Gamrot or Davis’ comments, and whether or not he will is uncertain.
Dustin Poirier reveals injuries sustained at UFC 302
After Dustin Poirier suffered a submission loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 302, he took to social media to reveal the injuries he sustained in the fight.
Nose is broken bad, rib is broken and my ACL is partially torn.
FIGHT LIFE
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) June 5, 2024
“Nose is broken bad, rib is broken and my ACL is partially torn. Fight life,” Poirier wrote.
Following the loss, Poirier has hinted that UFC 302 will be his final fight.