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USA Today
17-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Manager explains how Dustin Poirier 'bet on himself' in Conor McGregor rivalry
Dustin Poirier has had many magical moments in his MMA career, but it's hard to overlook his rivalry with Conor McGregor as a definitive portion. Ahead of UFC 318 on Saturday at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+), where Poirier will compete for the final time in his career against Max Holloway in a lightweight trilogy bout for the BMF title, it has been a time of reflection around the career of "The Diamond." There have been many trials and tribulations since his MMA debut in May 2009. When felt his ceiling was hit when he faltered against McGregor in their first meeting at UFC 178 in September 2014 when, after a heated build up, he lost by first-round TKO as "The Notorious" made his assent to superstar status. Years later and in a different division, Poirier got another opportunity. The pair had a rematch at UFC 257 in January 2021, and according to Poirier's longtime manager Rob Roveta, that was an incredibly important and defining moment. "I would say that's the most special fight of his career, and my favorite in terms of the mental mountain he had to climb," Roveta told MMA Junkie. "The hurdle you have to overcome to get one back like that against a guy that has been talking sh*t to you for years and talked sh*t to you back then and still doing it now. It kind of felt the same way with Khabib (Nurmagomedov at UFC 242), not quite as much, but he pulled up on a yacht. I don't think they applied the same COVID rules to him as they did us. It felt a little one-sided to us. But in that fight, I don't think he gave a sh*t. He was going to win." Poirier, 36, had an edge around him going into the UFC 257 rematch with McGregor that only comes out in rare instances. In addition to just wanting to get redemption on a significant loss, Poirier and his team were forced to make a roll of the dice after negotiations. Despite headlining a massive numbered card against the biggest star the sport has ever seen, Poirier was not compensated with pay-per-view points or many extra financial perks. All those were factored in to a trilogy clause, where if Poirier won, he would get a rubber match with McGregor right away and all the upside that came with it. It wasn't the ideal scenario, Roveta said, but one that added even more drive and motivation. "It certainly felt like the bet was against us and they looked at him as a stepping stone to far greater plans (for McGregor) – at least that's the way I looked at it," Roveta said. "The negotiations were tricky and he definitely bet on himself and obviously the back side of that worked out greater than we could've imagined, so it all worked out. But it was far different than you would imagine. "Everyone looking from the outside in, it's always, 'Oh, there's his shot. He's going to fight the biggest superstar and there will be a windfall of money and life is going to change forever.' Well, I can tell you the economics don't look like that. It's not like that for that particular fight. It's like, 'Hey, prove yourself and once you do, you can have the backside and everything you wanted.' But you have to do that, and it's not an easy mountain to climb." Poirier climbed that mountain in remarkable fashion. He knocked out McGregor in the second round at UFC 257, then won the trilogy six months later by first-round TKO at UFC 264 in July 2021 after McGregor broke his leg. It was just one of many high-profile fights and rivalries Poirier had throughout his career. The American achieved great things in his career, and although he went 0-3 in his chances for undisputed UFC titles, he can exit his career on an ultimate high at UFC 318. Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) is already 2-0 against Holloway (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC), but will look to extend that further while simultaneously taking the BMF belt from his Hawaiian foe. No matter what happens, though, Roveta said Poirier exceeded all expectations that were mapped up when their working relationship began just a few fights into his MMA career. "When the goal and the vision was set out was one thing, but the reality was bigger," Roveta said. "I think the only thing we did is we shot too low, in hindsight. It's easy to say now, but ultimately the goals we set out, we were thinking too small for a while. He's a much bigger superstar than I think we could've envisioned at the time." To hear Roveta discuss the highs and lows of Poirier's career in more detail, check out his complete appearance on "The Bohnfire" podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn in the video above.
USA Today
10-07-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
After years of combat flexing, UFC vet Tim Kennedy admits lying\u00a0about stories, honors
Kennedy says he's been lying about a major aspect of the military experience he's been using as his calling card After years of talking up his military service and accolades, Tim Kennedy now has admitted a big part of what he's been telling people has been a lie. Kennedy, who hasn't fought in nearly nine years and ended his career with back-to-back knockout losses at UFC 178 and UFC 206, posted on social media Tuesday to say the Bronze Star with Valor he has been saying he was awarded for his time in the Army is not true, and that he has "misstated" other aspects of his time in the military. Kennedy, often called on as a talking head on right-wing, conspiracy theory-driven dog whistle entertainment channels like Fox News, made his post after months of criticism and fact-finding from a segment of fellow former military servicepeople. Kennedy said his lies about his service and honors are "a serious mistake." He admitted he spent "years" repeating the lies publicly and in interviews, but said all the times he did it he "unintentionally misstated aspects" of his service. Kennedy said he lied about receiving a Bronze Star with Valor – a claim he once denied he ever made, though he has made the claim repeatedly and admittedly for "years" – and that "I deeply regret ever suggesting otherwise." Kennedy, who is 45, used his post to try to deflect some of the blame for his actions on being "young when I stepped into the public eye," but said he "should have known better." The bulk of Kennedy's public talk about his military service, or his claimed military service, came after he was brought into the UFC through the Strikeforce merger in 2013. His five fights in the UFC, in which he went 3-2 before his retirement after 2016, were all in his mid-30s. In 2022, when he was in his 40s, Kennedy's memoir "Scars and Stripes: An Unapologetically American Story of Fighting the Taliban, UFC Warriors, and Myself" was published. In its 400+ pages, he tells stories that now certainly will be called into question about their legitimacy. Kennedy only specifically addressed the Bronze Star lie in his "misstated aspects," but his most vocal critics have pointed to many other inaccuracies between what he has claimed in interviews – including the story he once told about exactly how and why he was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor that he never was awarded – as well as how many times he actually was deployed. Kennedy said the apology is a new beginning for him and he is "committed to rebuilding trust through honest reflection, visible accountability, and ongoing service to the community I misrepresented myself to." Whether that community will accept him back is another question entirely. Kennedy's statement on social media: "I want to take full and unequivocal responsibility for a serious mistake. Over the years, I made public statements and gave interviews in which I unintentionally misstated aspects of my military service. Most notably, I implied directly or indirectly that I had been awarded the Bronze Star with Valor. That is not true, and there is no excuse for it. I never received that honor, and I deeply regret ever suggesting otherwise. That kind of recognition is sacred. It represents extraordinary courage under fire acts that risk or cost lives. To those who truly earned it, and to their families and brothers-in-arms, I offer my sincere and direct apology. What I said disrespected your service, and I take full ownership of that. I was young when I stepped into the public eye, and while I wasn't prepared for the scrutiny or pressure that came with it, that doesn't absolve me. I should have known better. Integrity is not situational, and I failed to uphold the standards I claimed to represent. To the military and veteran community, especially those who've served in combat or lost people they love. I am deeply sorry. I know I've let many of you down. You had every right to expect more from me, and I didn't live up to that. This apology is not the end, it's the beginning. I am committed to rebuilding trust through honest reflection, visible accountability, and ongoing service to the community I misrepresented myself to. I will no longer speak about my service in a way that elevates me beyond what I actually did. From now on, my words will be guided by truth, humility, and respect. I understand that words alone don't heal disappointment or restore trust. Only time and action will. Thank you to those who have held me accountable. I will do my best to honor that accountability from this point forward. -Tim Kennedy"
