UFC middleweight, Robert Whittaker breaks down tis weekends clash between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje.
This weekend, the rematch between Gaethje and Poirier is set for the mian event of UFC 291, with the ‘BMF’ title also up for grabs. The first fight was an instant classic, in which the pair would exchange artillery until it was Poire who would land the fatal blow, winning by fourth round TKO.
Five years on, the MMA community is once again geared up to watch what is almost guaranteed to be an entertaining scrap. Opinions seem is split for this one, and both camps are justified as once the pair get going expect both men to be able to find openings to take advantage of.
Robert Whittaker weighs in on UFC 291 main event
Whittake is no different to anyone else, struggling to pick a sees the contest to be extremely close.
“Oh man, what a fight this is gonna be,” Whittaker said via the MMArcade podcast. “Oh yeah, and honestly? Out of the two guys, like honestly? Nobody wins this fight. Poirier and Gaethje, neither one of these dudes win this fight. This is gonna be that sort of fight, I feel it in my bones.” (H/T MMANews)
Contuning, Whittaker acknowledged that Gaethje has made significant improvements since the first fight, but still struggled to state a definitive answer. Both men are so evenly matched in not only their skill sets, but also their toughness and willingness to engage in a fire fight.
“This is a very different Gaethje than when they first fought,” said Whittaker. “If I was going to have to pick someone, if I was going to have to pick… This would be the one fight I think is where the closest fight you’d have to pick, that this could very well end in a draw.”
“Both guys are very happy to leave on their shield. Both guys are very good defensive strikers, both guys have excellent wrestling, takedown defence, and offensive wrestling. Both guys are tough as nails. They’re both very good at absorbing shots and firing shots. They’re very similar in styles to a degree.”