Dustin ‘The Diamond’ Poirier takes on Justin ‘The Highlight’ Gaethje in a highly anticipated rematch, five years removed from their first encounter. Poirier sat down with Ariel Helwani to discuss the upcoming fight.
Helwani opened up the conversation on the MMA Hour, querying why ‘The Diamond’ hadn’t fought this year. ”You’re fighting July 29 [at UFC 291]; you last fought in Madison Square Garden in November. Why did it take so long to get you a fight?”
”I’m not sure – replied Poirier. I guess at this level, the fights have to be right. There’s less and less of a mountain-top when you get to this level [top of the rankings]. The guys who are available and the guys that make sense, sometimes [the fights being made], it takes longer”.
Poirier then said that at the start of his career, almost every fight would make sense as he was focused on building his name by defeating as many opponents as possible, but now that he is focusing on fights that get him a title shot, it makes it more challenging to schedule contests for him.
‘The Diamond’ then mentioned that the UFC was thinking of having him face Beneil Dariush, but he wasn’t sold on the idea. He would rather compete against someone who made him nervous, such as his most recent opponent, Michael Chandler, Conor McGregor, or a rematch with Justin Gaethje. Poirier said that he respects Beneil Dariush and expects him to get a title shot should he overcome Charles Oliveira; he just views the fights with the trio mentioned above as more appealing to him from a stylistic point of view. Poirier said that he would feel more motivated going into a fight he knows would be a ‘war,’ and he needs that if he moves his family to Florida for a couple of months while he trains.
Helwani asked ‘The Diamond’ for his thoughts on Gaethje’s recent fight with Rafael Fiziev at UFC 286, with Poirier agreeing with the judges that ‘The Highlight’ won the bout.
”I think he [Gaethje] edged it, I do. I’d have to go back and watch it. He looked a little different. He used his jab a lot better, his lateral footwork a lot better, but I still see Justin Gaethje, the same guy. I still see me being a matador and touching this guy.”
Poirier then revealed that he was approached to coach the Ultimate Fighter with Gaethje, with the two potentially competing at the end of the series. It didn’t come to fruition due to the impact it would have on his family life, particularly once it became clear that the fight could happen regardless of Poirier committing to the reality show for a number of weeks. Coaching on the show is not something he has ruled out for in the future, but for now, he is just focusing on fighting.
Attention then turned to the BMF title, with the host saying he felt the title wasn’t necessarily needed for a fight of this magnitude, especially as it feels a bit gimmicky. ‘The Diamond’ recognized this but said he would be happy to compete for it as it would be a nice accolade and something fun to compete for while saying he won’t be walking around like he’s a champion should he overcome Gaethje.
UFC 291 takes place in Salt Lake City, and Poirier doesn’t seem too fussed about all the talk regarding the altitude and the potential impact it could have on both fighters and their ability to fight at a high pace. ”It’s a five-round fight, and we’re not fighting on Mount Everest” said Poirier.
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