Will Brooks supports Dustin Poirier not fighting at UFC Dublin: I'd do the same thing

Will Brooks

Bellator champion Will Brooks is never afraid to speak his mind. And when it comes to Joseph Duffy’s last-minute withdrawal from UFC Fight Night 76 against Brooks’ friend and teammate Dustin Poirier, he has plenty of opinion to give.

Brooks helped Poirier prepare at American Top Team for what was supposed to be a headlining lightweight contest in Dublin earlier this month.

Everything went swimmingly until news broke three days before the fight that Duffy (14-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) had suffered a head injury on his final day of training and was deemed medically unfit to compete. Poirier (18-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) was then left with the option to face Norman Parke, who was scheduled on the card against Reza Madadi, in a co-main event matchup, or pass on the opportunity to fight all together.

Poirier and his team opted to do the latter. He did not compete at UFC Fight Night 76 and received flack from fans and fellow fighters for the decision. Some athletes would have gone the other way, but Brooks said Poirier absolutely made the best choice for his career.

“Why would you go from a main event fight to a co-main event fight against a guy (Parke) that’s on a two-fight losing streak in his career and not getting publicity other than talking about you?” Brooks told MMAjunkie. “Why would you go and take a fight like that and risk hurting yourself over something of that nature? I think he made the best decision for himself and his family and his future. I support him all the way and I would have done the same thing.”

What riles Brooks up most about the situation revolves around Duffy. Brooks said he struggles to grasp the logic in having Duffy participate in any training activities that could lead to a concussion so near his fight.

Although UFC welterweight contender and Duffy teammate Rory MacDonald called the unfortunate incident a “freak accident,” the reality is Duffy did not make it to the fight and therefore both he and Poirier lost the chance to compete and earn a payday.

Training injuries are hardly an unordinary part of the sport, but this one had a ripple effect that extended well beyond Duffy. Brooks said that can’t be tolerated and it’s simply “unprofessional” to have it happen.

“For me it’s a very unprofessional thing because fighting is your job and your livelihood. To make money, you have to carry yourself in a certain way and do things in a certain manner to make sure you make it to the fight to make your money,” Brooks said. “Not only that, you jeopardize other guys’ way of living, also. It was a little frustrating to me and I couldn’t believe – a week out from the fight you should start slowing down. There’s no reason why you should be going hard or putting yourself at risk of being hurt of suffering an injury or something of that nature.

“Dustin is a very close friend of mine and I know how hard he works and I train with him. He was very prepared and to take that flight all the way there, it was very upsetting to me too.”

As it is now, on Wednesday night the UFC announced Poirier and Duffy had been rebooked for a slot on the UFC 195 card on Jan. 2 in Las Vegas, so their day will come, albeit a bit delayed.

Brooks’ (16-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) take on the situation is particularly relevant because he’s so close to a fight of his own. Bellator’s reigning 155-pound champion is scheduled to make his third title defense on Nov. 6 when he faces Marcin Held (21-3 MMA, 10-2 BMMA) at Bellator 145.

Bellator 145 takes place Scottrade Center in St. Louis. The main card airs on Spike TV following prelims on MMAjunkie.

With less than two weeks until his fight, Brooks said his most difficult days of training are already complete. The 29-year-old will spend time in the gym until he travels to St. Louis, he said, but that time is simply dedicated to keep technique sharp and get ahead on his weight cut.

Brooks insists that he won’t do anything that would risk the possibility of him making it to his fight with Held and said that other athletes need to take the same precautions to ensure that even a “freak accident” doesn’t occur.

“My work is done,” Brooks said. “I’m still in the gym keeping my movement going and getting my weight down and whatnot, but other than that I’m not doing anything to put myself at any risk of getting a concussion or hurting my hamstring or any type of injury of that nature that would force me to pull out of that fight.

“Right now I’m just maintaining. Work is done and now it’s just keep my weight down, stay focused, stay locked in and show up and fight.”

For more on Bellator 145, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.