Dustin Poirier (30-8) is one of Mike Brown’s best fighters at American Top Team, but “The Diamond” also causes a lot of stress for his coach.
Poirier is scheduled to challenge lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (25-1) in the main event of UFC 302 on June 1 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. “The Diamond” earned the right to challenge after knocking out French finishing machine Benoit St.-Denis in the second round at UFC 299 in March. Prior to knocking out St.-Denis, Poirier attempted a guillotine choke multiple times, but each time he lost his balance and failed. After the first round, Brown told Poirier to avoid the guillotine, and “The Diamond” replied that he could secure one, then went for another shortly after the start of the second round.
Though things worked out for Poirier in the end, Brown acknowledged the Louisiana native was the most stressful fighter he’d ever been around. While Poirier could be stubborn at times, the pressure also came from the close bond they share that began in his promotional debut in 2011.
Order now! UFC 302: Makhachev vs. Poirier, Saturday at 10pm ET on ESPN+ “Yeah, he’s No. 1. [to stress me out] “Absolutely. Absolutely, absolutely,” Brown recently told Shakiel Majli. “But the more I care about him, the more stressed I get. He can be hard on himself sometimes. And he’s the kind of guy who does what he wants, and at the end of the day, he does what he wants. Yeah, he’s the kind of guy who does what he wants. When he puts it in his head, he goes for it. The guillotine is a good example. When he wants to jump on the guillotine, he jumps on the guillotine.”
Brown couldn’t remember who stressed him out the most after Poirier, but he was quick to mention fighters who had the opposite effect on him while coaching.
According to ATT Mixed Martial Arts Head Coach, former Professional Fighters League lightweight champion Kayla Harrison (17-1) is the least stressful person to coach thanks to her disciplined and coachable approach to the sport.
“The least stressful would probably be Kayla Harrison. She’d do anything you ask of her. And then of course, who she’s fighting, where we are. Maybe it’s less stressful with Kayla.”
Harrison made her UFC debut last month against former bantamweight champion Holly Holm at UFC 300. Though it appeared “The Pastor’s Daughter” would opt to clinch against the former Olympic gold medalist judoka, Harrison earned a commanding submission victory in the second round.
