When UFC fighter Dustin Poirier choked out strongman Brian Shaw
UFC star Dustin Poirier is widely-revered for his brilliant striking, crafty submission skills, well-rounded combat arsenal, and for his great accomplishments in the sport of MMA. Having competed in both the featherweight (145 lbs) and lightweight (155 lbs) divisions, Poirier has experienced varying degrees of success against opponents of different sizes and styles.
Speaking of which, an intriguing stylistic matchup came to fruition last year, albeit not in Dustin Poirier's MMA career but outside the cage. Ahead of the Louisiana native's much-awaited trilogy matchup against archrival Conor McGregor in mid-2021, he engaged in a grappling session with world-renowned strongman Brian Shaw.
Poirier appeared on the Shaw Strength podcast and later participated in a few grappling exchanges with Shaw. While neither athlete went all out in their attempts to submit the other, Poirier managed to outmaneuver the much larger Shaw and tapped him out with a standing rear-naked choke.
That said, Shaw later got back at him, secured the top position, took Poirier's back, and flattened him out. Many in the MMA and fitness communities were impressed by both sports stars. Poirier, in particular, was praised by many as he was at a huge size disadvantage against the multi-time World's Strongest Man competition winner.
While Shaw stands at 6’8” and weighs around 400 lbs, Poirier is 5’9” and generally walks around at less than 200 lbs even when he's not cutting weight for his MMA bouts. The ESPN MMA YouTube channel has now posted a throwback video of Poirier impressively submitting the formidable Shaw.
Watch Dustin Poirier's submission of Brian Shaw in the video below:
Chael Sonnen on next potential move for the winner of Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Chandler
Former interim UFC lightweight champion Dustin Poirier is scheduled to face Michael Chandler at UFC 281 on November 12. In a recent edition of Beyond the Fight, Chael Sonnen addressed the matchup and outlined what could be in store for the Poirier-Chandler victor. On one hand, 'The American Gangster' opined that the winner could receive a UFC lightweight title shot.
Dustin Poirier is set to fight against Michael Chandler at #UFC281 in MSG, sources told @bokamotoespn https://t.co/kHOkUnbFmh
However, Chael Sonnen also alluded to the fact that reigning UFC lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev is likely to defend his title against UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski next in February 2023.
Furthermore, 'The Bad Guy' suggested that while the dust settles on the Makhachev-Volkanovski situation, the Poirier-Chandler winner could also face top-tier lightweight Beneil Dariush. Sonnen stated:
"So, now you're talking about a return realistically in June and maybe even July. You've got some time but we're going to have to get somebody in there to be the next number-one contender... Is this a situation where the winner of Chandler-Poirier draws in to Benny [Dariush]?"
Watch Sonnen's assessment below: