They say in boxing, “Kill the body and the head will die.” MMA has an amended version, “Kill the calf and the head will die.” In the main event of UFC 257, Dustin Poirier kicked Conor McGregor in the calf, 19 attempts in all, until “The Notorious” foot dropped, his leg collapsed, and the fight was ended in short order.
They say all true knowledge is hard-earned. During a recent appearance on “The Fight with Teddy Atlas” podcast, Porier said he knew the calf kicks were effective, because he had suffered them himself.
“I knew. I knew he was feeling it,” said Poirier. “I’ve had 40 something mixed martial arts fights, and I’ve never felt … you know, everything is kind of numbed during the fight. Of course, you leave the Octagon, and reality sets and the adrenaline starts wearing off, and you feel a lot of pain all over your body after some of these fights. But I’ve never felt more pain during the act of fighting than when my leg got kicked by Jim Miller over and over again at that night in New York.
“My calf was in so much pain. I was surprised at how much pain I was feeling, even between rounds, when I was trying to listen to my corner. They were icing my leg. It was one of the most painful things that I’ve been through in a fight, and I’ve had my nose crushed in a fight and fought another ten minutes and won the fight. I’ve had cracked hands, you know, the list goes of things that have happened to me in fights and injuries, but the calf kick was one of the most painful things I’ve ever felt.”
Poirer beat Miller via Majority Decision at UFC 208, on February 11, 2017, in Brooklyn, New York. It was the Fight of the Night.
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And now the calf kicks came full circle. Now Poirier will in all likelihood be in a fight for the title likely to be vacated soon by current division champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. UG, who do you want to see Poirier fight, and will he win?
h/t Gabriel Coleman for Sports Keeda
