Brian Shaw, four-time World’s Strongest Man, appeared on Bradley Martyn‘s Raw Talk podcast a while ago where he discussed a variety of topics, including his cancelled MMA fight and his thoughts on how he would fare in hypothetical street fights against various fighters, including UFC star Dustin Poirier.
Shaw, who stands at 6’8″ and weighs approximately 385 pounds, was originally scheduled to make his fighting debut in February against fellow giant Martin Ford in Qatar. The fight ultimately fell through due to contractual issues, but not before Shaw had trained intensively for six months, working with top coaches including Gordon Ryan.
When the conversation turned to a playful moment between Shaw and Poirier that had gone viral online, Shaw confidently assessed how a real confrontation would play out.
“Dustin and I did some stuff, we were just having fun, starting in a couple positions,” Shaw explained. “If I was really trying to be mean, I would have just jumped up and fallen backwards.”
Shaw elaborated that his strategy in any real fight would be to use his massive size advantage.
“Especially on the wall, if you’re on the wall and I could take you down and get where I wanted to go, it’s almost game over,” he said. “Especially if I have that much of a size and weight advantage.”
The strongman emphasized that while he respects the skill of trained fighters, at a certain point “there’s skill versus just complete size.” He explained that once he could secure a position on top,
“it’s just me on top raining [blows]. There’s nothing that could be done.”
He was in the proper company to say so as well – this all happened on Bradley Martyn‘s podcast. Bradley Martyn, a fitness influencer and gym owner, has stirred controversy with repeated claims that he could defeat professional fighters and boxers under certain conditions. He boldly stated,
“If I grabbed you and I picked you up and I slammed you on your head, you’re done. I don’t care if you’re a pro fighter.”
He reiterated this stance in multiple interviews, suggesting his size and strength could overcome technical skill. For instance, when discussing boxing, he said,
“I think I could take Devin Haney if it came down to it. I’m just way bigger.”
Martyn also challenged Nate Diaz, claiming,
“Nate would be cooked if I got a hold of him.”
These remarks, often delivered half-seriously, sparked widespread backlash from the MMA and boxing communities, who pointed out the gap between strength and actual combat proficiency.
