“Massive respect brother” – $800 million worth Dwayne Johnson praises high-spirited Dustin Poirier after brutal head kick loss at UFC 291

Dustin Poirier suffered a devastating knockout loss against Justin Gaethje at UFC 291. Poirier and Gaethje are 1-1 with a possible trilogy ahead.

“Massive respect brother” – $800 million worth Dwayne Johnson praises high-spirited Dustin Poirier after brutal head kick loss at UFC 291

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson expressed his support to Dustin Poirier (Image Courtesy - Vogue/US Weekly)

WWE icon and Hollywood star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has kept a firm eye on the MMA world in recent weeks. The actor has indicated his love for MMA in the past. Recently, he met rising star Themba Gorimbo at the MMA Master’s Gym in Miami. The Rock expressed his admiration for Dustin Poirier after the UFC 291 PPV.

Dwayne Johnson took to Twitter to praise the efforts of Dustin Poirier. He wrote, “Love this perspective so much. Life lessons we can pass on to our little ones. Whatever it is that you sign up for, make sure you absolutely love it because anything can happen ~ and it’s does. Love this dude. Massive respect brother.” Dustin Poirier has a history of crying after his losses. However, he chose to remain optimistic despite the loss.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnqo-RybDb0

Poirier fought Justin Gaethje in a rematch from their bout in 2018. Dustin Poirier won the first fight against Gaethje. The duo competed for the vacant BMF title. However, Poirier lost the bout via knockout in the second round. Justin Gaethje landed an impressive head kick to exact his revenge. Despite the loss, unlike his old self, Poirier remained in high spirits.

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In his previous losses against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira, Dustin remained heartbroken inside and outside the octagon. His enemy Colby Covington made fun of Poirier for crying after the losses. However, after such a devastating knockout loss, he surprised everyone with a composed version of himself. It caught the attention of Dwayne Johnson, who appreciated the attitude of Poirier after a loss.

Related: WATCH: Herb Dean’s slide to save Dustin Poirier after brutal head kick has fans comparing referee to The Rock’s ‘people’s elbow’

Dustin Poirier expressed his feelings after losing at UFC 291

Dustin Poirier
Dustin Poirier (Image Courtesy – Las Vegas Review Journal)

The former interim champion Dustin Poirier suffered the eighth loss of his MMA career. He competed for the BMF title at UFC 291 but got knocked out in the second round. Dustin did not look dismayed by the loss at the post-fight press conference. He said that despite the loss, he won in life because of where he came from.

Dustin Poirier came from an average background in Louisiana. Most likely, he did not have much during his early days. It took his will and might to reach where he is now. He had to overcome multiple disappointments in his career to be ranked amongst the top 10 lightweight fighters of all time.

Hence, the loss did not affect Poirier as he believed he won in life. Poirier also revealed that he hoped to see his daughter soon. The future of Poirier remains unknown as he remains further away from a title shot. Hopefully, he could fight again to have a fantastic send-off from his MMA career.

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