In Dustin Poirier's words: The genuine respect he holds for UFC 291 rival Justin Gaethje
Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje will meet for a second time inside the octagon at UFC 291 and compete for the vacant BMF title. In the co-main event, former middleweight champion Alex Pereira will make his light heavyweight debut against the former divisional champion Jan Blachowicz.
In an interview with Daniel Cormier on the DC & RC Show, the BMF contenders spoke about their upcoming matchup with each other. Since they both were in a war at UFC on FOX 29, it can be assumed that both have a healthy respect for each other.
Both fighters have wins over the No.5-ranked Michael Chandler. While Dustin Poirier has a healthy amount of respect for Justin Gaethje, he thinks Chandler is 'fake.' Here's what the 'The Diamond' said:
"He's the kind of fighter I like to watch; he puts it all on the line every time, and those are the kind of fights that I want to be to be involved in. So that's why this fight is exciting to me. You know, I've ran into Justin a few times since we fought, and he's always been straight up, you know? The thing with Chandler was, I think he's fake. But Justin seems real to me."
Skip to 6:03 for Poirier's thoughts on Gaethje:
Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje first met in 2018, where they duked it out for four rounds before 'The Diamond' found the TKO finish over 'The Highlight.' Since that fight, both lightweights have had storied careers, becoming interim divisional champions, with both fighting former divisional champion Charles Oliveira for the title and losing to him.
Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje II - The Schmo's fighter picks
Fighters and analysts alike have weighed in on who would win the rematch between Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier, with The Schmo releasing his compilation of fighter picks. Jon Anik predicted this fight as a non-title main event (non-championship bout) on a massive pay-per-view card.
The No.4-ranked lightweight Beneil Dariush said the following had the following to say:
"It's about hunger, I think Justin is a little bit more hungry, but the problem with Dustin Poirier [is] - he's a dog. He doesn't even have to be, like, the best prepared. He knows how to fight. Once he's in that octagon, he kind of takes over the rhythm, and he enjoys the fight. So, he's a really tough guy, but I would lean towards Justin just because of [where they are in] their lives right now."
Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje II - The Schmo's fighter picks:
The No.3-ranked featherweight Brian Ortega favored 'The Highlight' to win the fight. Here's what he said:
"I like Justin Gaethje. I have a lot of love for the way his fighting style is and everything. When he shows up, he shows up to fight."