As the highly anticipated UFC 302 card headlined by Dustin Poirier and Islam Makhachev approaches, Australian grappling expert Craig Jones has shared his insightful thoughts on Poirier’s guillotine strategy. Jones, known for his meticulous analysis, drew an intriguing analogy to explain Poirier’s approach, highlighting both the potential risks and rewards.
According to Jones, Poirier’s aggressive pursuit of the guillotine is akin to rolling the dice, emphasizing that it’s a bold, high-risk strategy. “You’re all in on a guillotine. You’re rolling the dice. That’s like not pulling out. It’s a big, big win or a big negative,” Jones explained on the MMA hour. This gamble may yield a significant reward, but it also leaves Poirier vulnerable to ending up on the bottom, potentially causing trouble.
Jones’ concerns stem from Poirier’s tendency to focus heavily on the guillotine, which might lead to overcommitment. “If he misses it, he’s on bottom. You potentially rest around,” Jones cautioned. This vulnerability could be exploited by Makhachev, who possesses exceptional grappling skills.
Despite these reservations, Jones acknowledges Poirier’s abilities, stating, “I think he’s a gambling man.” He also recognized the humor in the situation, imagining the irony if Poirier were to successfully guillotine Makhachev after struggling with the move in previous fights. “It would be funny if Dustin missed all these guillotines in his last fight. Everyone was like, ‘F*ck you, you suck.’ And then he guillotines Islam. So maybe that’s the strategy.”
While Jones doesn’t doubt Poirier’s skills, he does express uncertainty about his grappling abilities. “I don’t know enough about Dustin’s grappling. I haven’t seen enough of it.” He does believe, however, that Poirier’s best chance of winning lies in his striking abilities. “If he was to win, I’d imagine probably on the feet,” Jones said.
In preparation for the title fight, the UFC has revealed custom fight shorts for Poirier, which will undoubtedly add to the excitement surrounding the event. As fans eagerly await the clash between Poirier and Makhachev, Jones’ analysis serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities involved in high-level MMA competition.
Jones is currently on a PR campaign, promoting Craig Jones Invitational which is booked for 17th and 18th August at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.
