Dustin Poirier believes it would be a significant mistake if Justin Gaethje tries to turn their UFC 291 headliner into a technical fight. After their thrilling 2018 bout, which Poirier won via fourth-round TKO in the Fight of the Year, Gaethje (24-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) has been working on evolving as a fighter, adopting a more tactical approach. This shift has brought him much success.
Gaethje emphasizes that following this path and avoiding mistakes will be the key to victory in their rematch for the “BMF” belt at Delta Center. According to Poirier, if Gaethje chooses to pursue that route, he is likely to face the same outcome again.
Justin Gaethje cherishes the idea of Jorge Masvidal wrapping the BMF belt
At the upcoming UFC 291 main event, Justin Gaethje is slated to take on Dustin Poirier for the coveted ‘BMF’ title. Jorge Masvidal, the first-ever ‘BMF’ champion, has expressed his intention to present the belt to the winner.
During the UFC 291 media day, Gaethje was asked if he desires ‘Gamebred’, a longtime teammate of ‘The Diamond’ at American Top Team, to be the one to award him the belt. The No. 3 ranked lightweight responded:
“Yeah. I want to make him do it. Yeah, that would be nice. I know he’ll hate it so I’ll love it that much more.”
Justin Gaethje loves the idea of Jorge Masvidal wrapping the "BMF" belt around his waist.
"I know he'll hate it, so I'll love it that much more." đź’€
Full video: https://t.co/Bo3ey5TinY pic.twitter.com/BY8bP7JzX2
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) July 26, 2023
Masvidal secured the inaugural ‘BMF’ title at UFC 244 by defeating Nate Diaz when doctors halted the bout at the end of the third round. Unfortunately, this victory marked the end of ‘Gamebred’s’ career as he endured four consecutive losses afterward, including two welterweight title fights, leading him to retire from a remarkable mixed martial arts journey.
Justin Gaethje is confident of beating Dustin Poirier
Scheduled for the main event of UFC 291 this weekend, Dustin Poirier is gearing up to take on Justin Gaethje for the prestigious ‘BMF’ title. Having already defeated Gaethje in the main event of UFC on FOX 29 in 2018, Poirier has issued a warning to his opponent, advising him against trying to turn their rematch into a technical fight.
During the UFC 291 media day, the No.2-ranked lightweight stated:
“It’s going to get rough. Like I said before, adversity will present itself in this fight, but I trust myself to get off the stool, keep myself safe, find the openings, pick my shots. I’ve matured a lot in this sport and I think you’re going to see it Saturday. He doesn’t go out of his way to portray that, but he’s kind of got that aura about him now – the chaos and the most violent and all that, but I really am that and he knows that so let’s go there.”
In their initial encounter, Poirier secured a fourth-round TKO victory over Justin Gaethje. However, it’s important to note that both fighters have made significant improvements since that bout. The winner of this rematch is expected to earn their third shot at the lightweight title, as both have previously challenged Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira for the belt.
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