Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is roughly 48 hours away from its upcoming UFC on FOX 29: “Poirier vs. Gaethje” mixed martial arts (MMA) event, which takes place this Saturday night (April 14, 2018) inside Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
As the title suggests, UFC on FOX 29 will be headlined by the lightweight showdown pitting Dustin Poirier against Justin Gaethje, in what is widely-expected to be one of the best fights of the year, stylistically speaking.
There is a reason they call Gaethje “The Highlight.”
“I know he’s gonna try to hurt me on Saturday and I’m gonna try to do the same,” the World Series of Fighting (WSOF) import said. “That’s what I signed up for. Adrenaline is a hell of a drug and my adrenaline is pumping. This is going to be the most exciting live event in the world on Saturday. If you’re there, you’re gonna remember it for the rest of your life.”
Especially if someone dies, which is why Poirier may take his foot off the gas.
“The Diamond” recognizes what Gaethje brings to the table and has to fight the temptation to get sucked into a war. Not only because it increases the chance of a flash knockout, but also because bloodbaths tend to scramble the brains and shorten careers.
“I want to be a world champion. I’m not going out there looking to see who’s willing to lose more blood, because I’ll die out there,” Poirier said. “I know I would, but I don’t want that. I want to go in there and have a smooth fight and show my skill.”
Combined, they have a staggering 33 finishes — 25 of them knockouts.
Poirier (22-5, 1 NC) is coming off a violent submission win over Anthony Pettis at UFC Fight Night 120, good enough for a “Fight of the Night” performance bonus. Not surprisingly, Gaethje (18-1) earned the same bonus — worth $50,000 — in his UFC 218 war against Eddie Alvarez. Could we see “Fight of the Decade” this Saturday in Glendale?
That’s up to Poirier.