[embedded content]
Dustin Poirier wants to see Tom Aspinall deal with some adversity before he jumps on the bandwagon.
Former interim lightweight champion Poirier, who now serves as an analyst after retiring from MMA in August, admits it’s been impressive to see Aspinall blow through the competition, averaging an all-time UFC record low of two minutes and two seconds of fight time thus far in his octagon tenure.
With that dominance comes speculation about what happens when you go from always becoming the hammer to a situation where a fighter becomes the nail. That doesn’t mean Poirier needs to see Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) lose, but said it creates important lingering questions going into Saturday’s UFC 321 heavyweight title defense against Ciryl Gane (13-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
“Tom Aspinall is good, but everybody is so high on him,” Poirier told MMA Junkie. “What’s his longest fight in the UFC? I’ve never seen a guy in the third round, I’ve never seen him have to fight himself back into a fight. I’ve never seen him on the stool bleeding. I want to see him in a real fight. He’s been blowing past these guys, and for a reason. He’s a great fighter, explosive, skilled, but I’ve never seen him really tested.
“Until I’ve seen him tested and fight himself back in a fight and win, I can’t be on the same train as everybody else waving that flag. People are talking like he’s the next biggest thing, and he might be, but I’m not sold yet.”
Poirier said that Aspinall might get into those moments and thrive. However, he could also shrink. It’s a mystery until it happens, and he thinks Gane is capable and experienced enough to at least go down the path.
“Six minutes of fight time is the longest we’ve seen him,” Poirier said. “What if this goes 18, 19, 20, 25 minutes? We’ve never seen it. We’ve never seen him hurt, stumbled, get off the stool and right itself back into a fight. Until I see that, he’s a great fighter, but I’m not sold on it just yet. … I want to be on the train, too. I want to say, ‘This is the guy,’ But I want to see it.”
Gane seemingly has uncertainties about Aspinall’s game going into UFC 321. He said pre-fight that he wants to see how Aspinall swims in “deep waters,” but whether he can drag him there will be a key element in who leaves the event as undisputed heavyweight champion.
Poirier said he is siding with Aspinall going into UFC 321, but if things go awry should the fight go into unfamiliar territory for the heavily favored champion, then “The Diamond” wouldn’t be shocked.
“Maybe he comes through in the deep waters,” Poirier said. “Maybe Tom knocks him out in the fourth round and shows everybody. That’s why we love this so much. It’s all questions until the bell rings.
“If I had to make a pick, even though I said I’m not 100 percent sold on Tom Aspinall, I think he’s going to win this fight.”
To hear more from Poirier, check out his complete appearance on “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn above.
