Dustin Poirier on the Nerves & Anxiety of Fighting in the UFC
"Heroes and cowards feel exactly the same fear. Heroes just react to it differently," is a quote by the late Cus D'Amato, who coached vintage Mike Tyson.
Fear and anxiety are core components in the process of a fight, and athletes aren't immune to these emotions even at the highest levels of sports. This is at least true for UFC lightweight Dustin Poirier.
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Poirier, appearing on the May 22 episode of Ariel Helwani's "The MMA Hour," elaborated on his relationship with nerves and anxiety leading up to a fight. Specifically, Poirier spoke about why a matchup with Beneil Dariush isn't as enticing as other lightweight contenders:
"I just want those butterflies in my stomach, and I want to be nervous, and guys like [Michael] Chandler, Conor [McGregor], [Justin] Gaethje --- those kind of fights give me that, you know?
"I'm fighting because I want to, not because I have to so I want to be excited and motivated."
Helwani was perplexed about Poirier running towards nerves and anxiety, rather than away, to which Poirier replied:
"I need it. That's where I do my best, that's where I'm the most motivated, that's where I learn the most about myself and about combat sports. That's where greatness is, man... in that uncomfortable.
"And that's what I try to do, put myself in that fire, and this is one of those fights that does it. You know, if [the Gaethje] fight doesn't get you excited, then you're not a fan of combat sports."
Poirier wears his fear on his sleeve, which he revealed in an interview with Bloody Elbow in January:
"I wear it on my sleeve. I fought 30 times in Zuffa, people know I'm tough, and I get down .... But to say I'm not nervous --- you see the word 'scared' you have to be careful using, but it's just the unknown.
"No matter how prepared I am when I go in there, anything can happen. That's what scares me, especially against guys who are explosive and powerful.
"I'm not ashamed to admit it. That's what motivates me, that's what gets me going, that's what makes me bust my ass."
Fighters aren't immune to stress and fright, and Poirier is as dogged as they come. His perspective on pre-fight anxiety shows a healthy relationship with stress as a tool to motivate himself to achieve greater heights and perform in the octagon.
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