Just over four years ago, Dustin Poirier made a decision that many fighters face: seeking a competitive edge over opponents through weight manipulation. While he had competed primarily at 155-pounds before transitioning to the UFC, Poirier believed his best path to success was to become a large featherweight rather than an average-sized lightweight.
The gamble initially seemed to pay off. Poirier climbed into the top five of the featherweight division and was close to a title shot. However, while Poirier defeated featherweight contenders, his body endured significant damage from the extreme weight cuts required to meet the 146-pound limit.
Dustin Poirier at a weigh-in, highlighting the physical demands of weight cutting.
The Toll of Weight Cutting
"It really affected me," Poirier told FOX Sports, describing the cut to featherweight. "Not only mentally, but just being calorie depleted and pretty much having to starve myself for months, not really feeding my body. We break our bodies down all week and we don't get to refuel and recover like our bodies should be."
Poirier revealed that he would routinely walk around during a fight in the 160-pound range, hoping to make the final 15-pound cut to make weight so he could finally eat again. This extreme process took a toll on his body and mind.
The dangers of extreme weight cutting for MMA fighters | RTÉ Brainstorm
Read also: Pague's Transition to Bare Knuckle
Transitioning to Lightweight: A Healthier Approach
While Poirier admits he's a little heavier than he was when he was fighting at featherweight, the biggest difference has been the lack of stress he felt in the weeks and days leading into a fight as his body started to lose more and more weight to hit the mark 24-hours out from competing.
"There's probably 10 or 15-pound difference from the weight. Being where I'm at now is closer to my natural body weight so it's not as much of a struggle," Poirier said. "Before I was already hurting to get down into the 160's just to get to 145 and I still had a lot of weight to go. Right now I'm going to show up fight week and cut 13 or 15 pounds, but I'm happy and healthy so it's a different 15-pounds."
Dustin Poirier during a training session, showcasing his dedication to peak performance.
Improved Performance and Well-being
Poirier's training partners and coaches noticed a significant improvement in his performance during fight camp. "I feel better. Everybody in camp thinks I'm stronger, faster and I have more power," Poirier said. "It's all good. I probably should have been fighting at 155 for a long time, but I was so close to the top at 145. Me and my coaches knew this was going to happen to make the switch. After my last fight, we sat down and said it's probably time now."
Poirier believes the real test will be on Saturday when he faces Diego Ferreira to kick off the UFC Fight Night: Mendes vs. Lamas card from Virginia.
The subject of weight cutting has been controversial for years, but has recently landed in the headlines after several fights in the past few months have been cancelled in the hours leading up to an event because one fighter or another passes out or needs medical attention while going through the rigors of making weight.
Read also: Bitter Rivalry: Poirier and Covington
Poirier has seen the good side and the bad side of weight cutting throughout his career, but he's no longer willing to do the kind of damage required just to try and gain a slight physical advantage over an opponent.
"I've been holding my body back for a long time. My body wanted to be bigger and I was not letting it do that. As an athlete that's not the right thing to do," Poirier said. "I think a lot of fighters are cutting way too much weight."
Dustin Poirier.
Starting Anew in the Lightweight Division
If there's one down side to moving to lightweight it's the fact that Poirier has to abandon all the hard work he's put in over the last four years to climb to the top of the featherweight rankings. He may be an 11-fight UFC veteran, but for all intents and purposes, Poirier is the new kid on the block once again.
It's a tough spot to occupy, but Poirier promises that he will only occupy the bottom rung on the ladder for a limited amount of time.
"Yeah I do think featherweight is done for me. It sucks because I worked hard and fought a lot of hard fights and did a lot of things right to move up the rankings and I have to abandon all that moving to 155 starting fresh," Poirier said.
Read also: Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz: What Could Have Been
"I want to stay busy. Cutting to featherweight took months of intense weight cutting and training. Going to lightweight, I can fight more often. I want to be busy, maybe fight four times this year and hopefully crack that top 15 or that top 10. That's the goal."