Poirier at a news conference, 2016. John Locher/AP/Shutterstock
UFC fighters are just like Us! Dustin Poirier exclusively opened up to Us about his career, favorite foods — and his biggest celebrity crush.
“Growing up, Pamela Anderson was the closest person I had to a celebrity crush,” Poirier, 33, shared in the latest issue of Us Weekly. When it comes to his biggest starstruck moment, however, the martial arts expert revealed that he was most overwhelmed while meeting Mike Tyson earlier this year.
“Funny thing is, I went on to bite someone later that night,” he added, referring to 56-year-old Tyson’s infamous ear-biting incident in June 1997.
Poirier, who was born in Louisiana, dropped out of high school after repeatedly getting into fights. In 2009, the athlete turned his experience professional and joined the UFC, quickly compiling a record of 7–0 in his first year.
In 2019, he became the Interim UFC Lightweight Champion — his “proudest moment,” he gushed to Us — and is currently No. 2 in UFC lightweight rankings as of May.
When it comes to preparing for a fight, Poirier — who revealed that his alternate profession would be a chef — is all about fueling up the right way with New Orleans cuisine. (The philanthropist even has his own hot sauce line, Poirier’s Louisiana Style Hot Sauce, which was created in partnership with Heartbeat Hot Sauce and pays homage to his hometown of Lafayette, Louisiana.)
“My favorite thing to cook is anything Cajun! Jambalaya to gumbo, I love it all,” he told Us, noting that his go-to cheat meal “is a burger and onion rings.”
Outside of the ring, Dustin revealed that being a father to daughter Parker Noelle, 6, whom he shares with wife and childhood sweetheart, Jolie Poirier, is his top priority. “I love everything about being a girl dad. It’s incredible,” the celebrated athlete told Us.
When he’s not busy with his little one, Dustin’s main focus is his charity, the Good Fight Foundation. The nonprofit, which was founded by the MMA fighter and his wife, auctions off pieces of memorabilia from Dustin’s career to raise money for underdeveloped communities in Louisiana.
“The most rewarding thing about my charity, the Good Fight Foundation, is knowing we’re really making a difference and giving people a reason to cheer and smile,” the Louisiana native told Us of his philanthropic efforts, which included providing 3,000 meals for their local Second Harvest Food Bank during their first auction in 2018.
Keep scrolling to read more of the MMA fighter’s confessions, including his favorite movie and the most famous celebrity in his phone:
1. I love to go to New Orleans. It’s just a special city to me. The energy is different.
2. One thing everyone should try with Poirier’s Louisiana Style Hot Sauce is eggs.
3. To decompress on my days off, I usually just hang out with my wife and daughter.
4. The one thing fans always say to me on the street is, “Stay hydrated.”
5. My first car was a ’78 Oldsmobile Cutlass.
6. My first job was cutting grass.
7. I’m a ping-pong champion. Not really, but I try hard.
8. My favorite items in my wardrobe are my colorful Robert Graham T-shirts.
9. My favorite room in my house is the kitchen.
10. I just had my most starstruck moment two weeks ago while meeting Tyson, 56, for the first time. Funny thing is, I went on to bite someone later that night.
11. I would have loved to fight a prime B.J. Penn.
12. My advice for up-and-coming fighters is you have to stay consistent and hold yourself accountable.
13. My preferred cheat meal is a burger and onion rings.
14. Growing up, Anderson, 55, was the closest person I had to a celebrity crush.
15. The most famous name in my phone contacts is probably Kevin James.
16. The proudest moment from my career was winning the [interim UFC Lightweight Champion] belt.
17. My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski.
18. My favorite thing to cook is anything Cajun! Jambalaya to gumbo, I love it all.
19. I love everything about being a girl dad. It’s incredible!
20. To mentally prepare before heading into the octagon, I imagine all the different ways the fight could unfold thousands of times before I actually walk out there.
21. Tim Credeur — one of my first coaches — gave me the nickname “The Diamond.”
22. I use Celsius to speed up my mornings. Instead of waiting for coffee, I just grab one from the fridge and hit the road. It’s also perfect pre-workout.
23. I don’t have any [current] plans to get more tattoos, but there will be more.
24. The most rewarding thing about my charity, the Good Fight Foundation, is knowing we’re really making a difference and giving people a reason to cheer and smile!
25. I’m not sure what my alternate profession would be ifI wasn’t a UFC fighter, but I’ll take a guess and say a chef.