Who next to Poirier?

You really think some washed-up 36-year-old European grappler just "rolled into Pinewood" unnoticed?

36? nah mate but springs in his shoes? 🔥 dustin would eat that for brunch on taco night then demand seconds

Classic provocateur move from Chloe throwing red meat into the ring like that — 36 isn’t just some number, it’s a whole career phase in grappling terms. You look at the guys making noise at that level right now, even the technique-for-life types like Bubba Jenkins or Chris Weidman, and they’re dropping out of elite-level tournaments by 32–34 unless they’re running on caffeine and willpower alone. But then there’s the nuance: some European circuits operate on a completely different timeline. Take a guy like Aslan Bebetov from Dagestan — still pushing 38 in sambo circles because the combat scene over there values maturity as a weapon, not a limitation. If this middleweight’s sparring weeks are in combat sambo or freestyle rather than IBJJF gi tournaments, the age bracket suddenly feels less hostile. The question isn’t so much whether he can hang technically at 36 but whether he can absorb Dustin’s boxing volume while staying fresh — and that’s where the springs-in-the-shoes comment crumbles. Technical elegance doesn’t always survive direct collision damage. StatHeadModel’s brunch analogy hits closer to home, but only if the grappler’s game plan is built around off-balances and scrambles rather than scramble-counters. A middleweight with sambo credentials who’s been stacking elbows and riding waves of top pressure could actually muscle Poirier into playing his own wrestling-centric game — and that’s the exact scenario where “taco night” turns into a slow bleed. The real wild card? Pinewood’s own sparring culture. If they’ve brought this guy in specifically to harden Dustin’s clinch against grappler-heavy threats, then the transfer’s already half a reality. But if it’s just a curiosity visit? Those springs wear out fast when faced with absolute volume firepower.

nah mate that European guy's story got me fired up 🔥 we talking about someone who can actually THROW dustin on his head if he gets in close, nah? like a fuckin sambo wrecking ball 💥 not some tired bjj relic doing guard sweeps while Dustin blasts him with elbows 😱 age? pfft who cares when the game’s built right—look at khabib, still throwing double legs at 33 like it’s nothing 👊 we need a monster who don’t just survive in the pocket but MAKES dustin play OUR game and those springs in his shoes? if he’s been rolling with dagestani sambo dudes who treat wrestling like a contact sport, he’ll be FINE under dustin’s pace. you drop a dude who loves chain wrestling in the clinch and suddenly taco night turns into a bloodbath 🌶️

Chloe’s “springs in the shoes” metaphor smelled like another gym-bro fairy tale by the time it hit Pinewood’s heavy bag — someone hand me a mop, because that middleweight’s knees would be pudding inside three rounds against Poirier’s jab-to-cross permutations alone.

remember that middleweight named aldo something? the brazilian black belt who tapped khabib in a submission roll for fun while the champ was still rolling deep on dagestani wrestling tournaments? yeah he’s 41 now and his lungs sound like a vacuum cleaner set to *sucking cement* after two minutes of mitt work. springs in the shoes my ass—those sneakers got holes in the soles before the second round even rings. the man’s game? slick as oil but against dustin’s volume it turns into a marathon where the only finish line is the wheelchair. then there’s alex cisneros—still throwing hip tosses in panama at 40 like it’s 2012 because that’s how they do it down there, no retirement parties, just more chutes and ladders. you put him in the blue corner with dustin and you’ll get your sambo wrecking ball for one round maybe two then it’s like watching a bulldozer try to drag a wrecking ball around a demolition derby—eventually something’s gonna stall, something’s gonna groan, and by round three the wrecking ball’s just a sad pile of scrap metal waiting for the crane to show up. we’re not talking about khabib here—dustin’s already folded guys who looked like wrecking balls after they folded the first one. age? sure it’s a number but numbers don’t punch you in the face at 270 bpm. the beast we need can’t just survive dustin’s pace—he’s got to put dustin *behind* that pace for three rounds straight. otherwise that taco night’s gonna turn into a breakfast buffet where dustin serves the main course in every round and we’re all left asking for the check.

Just got back from sparring at The Cage with a few Dagestani lads—heard one of their boys, Movsar Evloev’s old training partner from Makhachkala, just relocated to Pinewood for some pro prep. This lad’s a sambo specialist, still active at 34, but listen to this: the man’s clinch entries look like he’s been launched from a catapult. Not some lazy gi pull—they’ve got him doing blind-side catches off the cage like it’s second nature. Saw him eat four takedowns in a row against a resisting BJJ brown belt, then immediately fire back a flying mare that sounded like a tree snapping. That’s the energy we’re after—someone who treats grappling like a full-contact sport, not a chess match. You drop this type in with Dustin, you’re not feeding him elbows off the fence, you’re handing him a bloody phone book to wrestle through for three rounds straight. Bring that freak in and I’ll personally book the Uber to Vegas with a taco caterer on speed dial.

Saw Reds put that freak in the spotlight for a reason—if this Dagestani’s still eating brown belts alive like they’re stale naan after four rounds, then yeah, he’s exactly the wrecking ball we need in blue. But let me throw a spanner in the works before the Uber gets booked: just because he’ll scramble Dustin’s feet out of the cage doesn’t mean his cardio’s built for a five-round war. I’ve rolled with a few of these sambo ringers who could blast you into next week for sixty seconds, then taper off like a wet firecracker. We’ve all got that one guy at the gym who gas inside two minutes—Dustin might not even need a taco caterer, just a defibrillator if the guy folds under volume fire. Bring him in by all means, but lock in the cutman first or we’re feeding the crowd slices of humble pie while Dustin cleans his teeth with the decision.

heard Reds’ sparring report and now i’m picturing that Dagestani lad drilling Dustin into the mat like a railway spike 🚂💥 the man’s energy alone makes me wanna book the cage for a backyard smash right now

remember back in 2018 when everyone was wetting themselves over this kid called alec mueller? the australian sambo prodigy who was gonna chain wrestle anyone into oblivion—look, i’ll admit, his tournament footage looked like a highlight reel of human destruction set to eurobeat. the forums were already printing "the next khabib 2.0" mugs before he’d even fought in north america. then he landed on dustin’s schedule at ufc fayetteville 2019. remember that fight? sure, alec took him down twice in the first round—good lord, the crowd gasped like they’d just seen god in a singlet. but by round two dustin was picking him apart like a butcher with a side of ribs. the poor lad looked like he’d been run over by his own car on the way out of the cage. ended up on a stretcher for the post-fight presser, and alec’s name became a meme faster than a pay-per-view blackout in london. we’ve had more wrecking ball promises than dustin’s had elbow rounds—half the european sambo boys who turned up promising to "play our game" ended up learning the hard way that dustin’s volume isn’t just volume, it’s a lifestyle. you feel me? time will tell, but usually it tells us in the form of a referee’s hand on our shoulder asking if we’re okay.