UFC lightweight contender Justin Gaethje is expecting to get the next title shot, and it could come against a former rival in Dustin Poirier.
Poirier will face lightweight champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 269, and Gaethje will more than likely face the winner at a later date. Gaethje will surely be paying attention to the UFC 269 main event to scout his possible next opponent.
Gaethje and Poirier have fought once before, as Poirier earned a TKO finish in the fourth round in their fight in 2018. Gaethje has yet to match up with Oliveira during the Brazilian’s rise to the top of the lightweight division.
During a recent interview with SiriusXM, Gaethje explained what’s changed in his game since his first fight with Poirier.
“Yeah, I think it would be fantastic to watch, you know,” Gaethje said of a rematch with Poirier. “Once it happens, I’ll be excited to watch it. Every single fight of mine is the same, you know, extremely entertaining. Yeah, the fight with him the first time, he was very good. I played a different game back then. It was, you know, who’s tougher? Who’s stronger? And he outlasted me and landed that shot. The shots he took, I was surprised. And again, that’s why I have so much respect for the heart and will of that guy.”
Justin Gaethje Is Still Seeking A Shot At UFC Gold
Gaethje earned the interim lightweight title against Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 in early 2020. He would go on to lose in the title unification bout against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254 by second-round submission.
After a bit of a hiatus from competition, Gaethje returned to the cage last month at UFC 268 and defeated Michael Chandler in an all-time classic. The win set Gaethje up nicely to get another title shot despite recently fighting for the belt.
Poirier’s stock has risen as well, with back-to-back wins over Conor McGregor. A second fight with Gaethje would surely be a slugfest.
How do you think a Justin Gaethje vs. Dustin Poirier rematch would play out?