Dustin Poirier talks 'patience' and learning to 'tame the beast' ahead of UFC 199

Dustin Poirier's loss to Conor McGreogor at UFC 178 could have been a blessing in disguise. Since that disappointing night in Las Vegas, Nevada, 'The Diamond' has reinvented himself and emerged as a top-15 lightweight talent.

That loss, it seems, has taught Poirier a thing or two about emotions and patience. McGregor, who is notorious for waging mental warfare against his opponents in the pre-fight media frenzy, undoubtedly pushed Poirier's buttons before even stepping into the Octagon.

The Louisiana native looked flustered from the opening bell, allowing McGregor to settle into his rhythm and dictate the action. At just 1:46 into the opening round, Poirier was dropped with a left hand and finished with a barrage of ground and pound.

It was a tough pill to swallow for Poirier, but there were no excuses.

The 27-year-old, who has rattled off three straight wins in the 155-pound division, talked to Elias Cepeda of FOX Sports about how he has learned to control his emotions and 'tame the beast' once the cage door closes.

"I feel like I've always been a great fighter but I'm learning the patience part of it and not getting overwhelmed with emotion and adrenaline and going out there and brawling like a maniac," Poirier said.

"You've got to kind of tame the beast, here and there."

"It's good to have that, though. It's always there. I have to keep it tame. It'll be there when I need it."

Poirier will look to extend his win streak to four when he takes on Bobby Green at UFC 199. The pay-per-view, which hosts a middleweight championship tilt between Luke Rockhold and Michael Bisping in the main event, takes place at The Forum in Inglewood, California on June 4.