Ahead of tonight’s massive symbolic BMF championship clash with fellow former interim lightweight titleholder, Justin Gaethje, fan-favorite veteran, Dustin Poirier has vowed to bring a “blood and guts” performance against the Arizona in their highly-anticipated rematch.
Poirier, the current number two ranked lightweight contender, enters tonight’s UFC 291 re-run with Gaethje holding distinct bragging rights, having previously landed a fourth round TKO win over the latter back in 2018 in their UFC Glendale main event clash.
And rekindling their rivalry tonight in Salt Lake City, Utah, Poirier and Gaethje clash for symbolic BMF title spoils, with the victor also likely booking themselves into the frame to fight the winner of an upcoming undisputed lightweight title rematch between champion, Islam Makhachev, and former titleholder, Charles Oliveira.
Dustin Poirier promises “blood and guts” display against Justin Gaethje
Sharing a tense face-off at last night’s official ceremonial weigh-ins ahead of UFC 291, Poirier previewed his pairing with Gaethje, insisting he is ready for “war” with the Arizonian if it arises tonight in ‘The Beehive State’.
“It means everything,” Dustin Poirier told UFC color-commentator, Joe Rogan. “Look, I’m ready for war, and I’ll see you in the trenches tomorrow. Thank you Salt Lake for coming, I had a great week here. I’m going to leave it all out there, I promise you. Blood and guts, let’s go.”
And prior to his BMF title rematch with Gaethje tonight, Poirier most recently turned in an impressive display against common-foe, Michael Chandler back in November at UFC 281, defeating the former lightweight title challenger with a third round rear-naked choke at Madison Square Garden.
As for Gaethje, the ONX Labs trainee turned in a close, majority decision win over Rafael Fiziev at UFC 286 back in March in a co-headliner in London, England.