"This looked real to me" - Dustin Poirier dismisses the claim that Tyron Woodley didn't knock out Jake Paul on purpose in their boxing clash
Dustin Poirier was at the Rocket Mortgage Field House in Cleveland, Ohio, on August 29 to witness the crossover boxing match between Tyron Woodley and Jake Paul. Fans expected the former UFC welterweight champion to derail Paul's hype-train in the fight but what transpired was the complete opposite.
Although he managed to rock 'The Problem Child' in the fight, Woodley lost via unanimous decision, leaving the entire MMA community surprised. Some fans even claimed that the fight was fixed and Woodley intentionally refrained from knocking out Jake Paul.
Tyron Woodley winding up his fist like a toy before he punches Jake Paul is the funniest thing i’ve seen in a min https://t.co/5ANvy411QI
Poirier, who was seated in the front row during the bout, claims that the fight definitely looked fair to him. With years of experience under his belt, Poirier said he'd understand if there was something fishy going on, but he felt that the fight was clean and Paul earned the win fairly.
"For anybody thinking Woodley wasn't trying to hurt this guy, I was there front row, in person, and this looked real to me. I've been fighting and around fights for a long time and I think I'll be able to spot the not and it was a fight," Dustin Poirier said to Ariel Helwani on MMA Hour.
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Dustin Poirier thinks the upcoming matchup between Jake Paul and Tommy Fury will be a very close affair and both fighters could end up winning. 'The Diamond' said he hasn't watched Fury enough to pick a winner between him and Paul, but is looking forward to watching the fight.
Dustin Poirier predicts the outcome of his lightweight title clash with Charles Oliveira at UFC 269
As for his own title fight against Charles Oliveira at UFC 269 next month, Dustin Poirier has predicted a stoppage win for himself on the night. 'The Diamond' doesn't think Oliveira can hang with him for 25 minutes inside the octagon and foresees a brutal finish of 'Do Bronx' in December.
"I really think I'm going to stop this guy. 25 minutes is too long to fight with me and not get hit with the shot, not get put in a bad position and I'm feeling the best I've ever felt, my body feels good, I'm focused, I can't wait," Dustin Poirier said.
While many in the MMA community believe that Dustin Poirier will come out on top, Charles Oliveira has given his take on the matchup and how he sees it playing out.
In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, 'Do Bronx' said he isn't worried about his underdog status and is solely focused on beating the best fighters in the lightweight division.
"Strikers took him down way too easily, and you know what happens if I take him down. If he trades on the feet with me, you know I’m hitting hard, brother. It will be fire on the 11th. I have firepower in my hands, I have my jiu-jitsu. I respect him a lot, but I want to remain champion, I want to keep this belt here,” (translation courtesy - MMA Fighting).