In the highly anticipated rematch against Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier approached the fight with added confidence, having previously defeated “Highlight” five years prior. Poirier was riding the momentum of a satisfying submission win over Michael Chandler, and another victory would have likely secured him a shot at the championship.
However, Gaethje had his own aspirations for a title and revenge on his mind. This lethal combination proved to be decisive as Gaethje delivered a stunning head-kick in the second round of the rematch, rendering his opponent unconscious and cementing his path towards championship contention.
Dustin Poirier reflects on Khabib fight following Gaethje disappointment
During UFC 291 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, last weekend (Sat., July 29, 2023), some fighters found themselves dealing with the post-fight blues. Marcos Rogerio de Lima suffered a swift knockout loss to a resurgent Derrick Lewis in just 33 seconds. Tony Ferguson also experienced a tough defeat, marking his sixth consecutive loss after getting choked out by Bobby Green.
During the ‘BMF’ title fight at UFC 291, Dustin Poirier experienced a knockout defeat at the hands of Justin Gaethje. Notably, it was his first loss in a non-lightweight title fight since 2016. Despite the setback, Dustin Poirier holds a firm belief that he is superior to Gaethje, making the loss harder for him to come to terms with compared to his defeat against UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Dustin Poirier: “Khabib was better than me. I lost Saturday to somebody I think I’m better than." #TheMMAHour
▶️ https://t.co/kRJv9QPzeB pic.twitter.com/wb0bJXPuHr
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) July 31, 2023
In an interview with Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour, the No.2-ranked lightweight expressed his thoughts on the matter: “Khabib was better than me. I lost Saturday to somebody who I think I’m better than.”
When questioned about whether this belief makes the loss harder to accept, Poirier replied: “Yeah. Yeah. I was away from home for nine weeks in training camp. I dieted 11 weeks, sacrificed so much, was really focused, man, was really, really focused, and felt great, the best I’ve ever felt. Honestly, the best I’ve ever felt.”
Possible routes to title picture for Poirier
However, displaying the true spirit of a sportsman, Dustin Poirier gathered himself and addressed the media during the post-fight conference at UFC 291. During this conference, Dustin Poirier expressed his disinterest in facing just any opponent next, particularly young up-and-comers seeking to bolster their reputation with a victory or a strong showing against a seasoned veteran like himself.
Considering the possibilities for the former interim Lightweight champion’s future, it’s essential not to dismiss him just yet as he remains a contender in the division. With two significant victories, he could easily find himself back in the title hunt.
A potential matchup against Beneil Dariush might be on the horizon, as he is also coming off a challenging loss after being choked out by Charles Oliveira recently. Ranked No. 4, Dariush had been on an impressive eight-fight win streak before his defeat, and a win against Oliveira would have put him in line for a title shot.
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