Dustin Poirier rejected TUF coaching role because of being lowballed by the UFC, claims Justin Gaethje
Justin Gaethje revealed that the UFC wanted him and Dustin Poirier to coach The Ultimate Fighter.
Season 31 of TUF will feature UFC superstars Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler coaching fighters in the bantamweight and lightweight divisions. Before the coaches were confirmed, several other matchups were offered the position, including Gaethje and Poirier.
During a video on his YouTube channel, Daniel Cormier took Gaethje golfing and asked him several questions about his fighting career. ‘The Highlight’ had this to say about Poirier turning down an opportunity to coach TUF against him:
“Before I signed the [Rafael] Fiziev fight, they asked if I wanted to do The Ultimate Fighter with Poirier and he said no. I don’t blame him. I wouldn’t do it if I was him, when you got that much money. You’re gonna pay me $80,000 to go f*cking six weeks away from my family? No thanks.” [2:18-2:50]
Gaethje and Poirier fought in April 2018, with the latter securing a fourth-round finish. The top-ranked lightweights might be matched up for a rematch in their next Octagon appearance, as both fighters arguably need one more win before earning another title shot.
5 years ago today, Dustin Poirier finishes Justin Gaethje in a wild fight https://t.co/RnTqhpyb49
Watch Daniel Cormier's golfing YouTube video with Justin Gaethje below:
Justin Gaethje wants to fight Islam Makhachev for the UFC lightweight title instead of Dustin Poirier
On February 11, Islam Makhachev defended the UFC lightweight championship for the first time with a unanimous decision win against Alexander Volkanovski. The reigning 155-pound king now waits for his next title challenger to be selected, which will likely be the winner of Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush.
During the same YouTube video with Daniel Cormier, Justin Gaethje was asked about the rematch against Dustin Poirier. He responded by saying:
“I’d rather have a championship fight.”
Gaethje last fought on March 18, defeating Rafael Fiziev by a majority decision. Before defeating Fiziev, ‘The Highlight’ lost a lightweight championship opportunity against Charles Oliveira in May 2022. Since Oliveira/Dariush is likely the next 155-pound title challenger, a matchup against Poirier makes sense for the former interim champion.
In December 2021, Poirier lost a lightweight title fight against Oliveira. A year later, he bounced back with a third-round submission win against Michael Chandler at UFC 281. It’ll be intriguing to see if the UFC decides to make the rematch between ‘The Diamond’ and ‘The Highlight.'