Ariel Helwani: "I'm not that much of a degenerate"
Dustin Poirier recently took part in an interview with Ariel Helwani, during which he tackled the issue of betting. 'The Diamond' confessed to being an avid better, jokingly describing himself as a degenerate. However, his answer was slightly different when probed for his thoughts on the Power Slap League.
After confirming that he would place bets for the Francis Ngannou vs. Anthony Joshua boxing match, the former UFC interim lightweight champion was asked if watched Dana White's Power Slap League. 'The Diamond' responded to the inquiry with a quick but definitive dismissal.
"Nah, I'd miss that. I'm not that much of a degenerate."
It was a telling moment but also an important one, given White's desperation for Power Slap to be afforded the same level of acceptance that MMA has. In fact, the UFC CEO has even described the frequent scorn that slap-fighting receives to be comparable to the unfair criticism that MMA received in its earlier days.
Others in the MMA sphere have opted to support Power Slap, such as Conor McGregor and even UFC content creator Nina-Marie Daniele. Unfortunately, 'The Diamond' is not one of them, and slap-fighting remains controversial, with a serious risk of brain injury that eclipses that of MMA.
This is primarily due to a slap-fighter's inability to defend themselves from slaps. They must stand and absorb the blow instead. No blocking is allowed. This could be what Poirier was indirectly referring to when he claimed that his supposed degenerate behavior did not extend that far down.
Dustin Poirier is currently on a career slump
To the surprise of many, Dustin Poirier is currently on a career-worst run of two losses, and just one win over his last three fights. The only other moment when he was in a similar position was back in the 2012-2013 period, over a decade ago, during his featherweight run.
He had lost to Chan Sung Jung via submission, beat Jonathan Brookins, and lost to Cub Swanson. Now, he is in a similar position, having recently lost to Justin Gaethje via stunning knockout.
Prior to that, he had submitted Michael Chandler in a rebound win after being himself submitted by Charles Oliveira. 'The Diamond' now hopes to bounce back against streaking finisher Benoît Saint Denis in a five-round bout at UFC 299.
