Justin Gaethje claims he was offered to coach TUF 31 with Dustin Poirier, reveals why 'The Diamond' pulled out

Many in the MMA community, including analysts and fans, have been calling for a rematch between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, two of the sport's top lightweight competitors. According to Gaethje, Poirier declined the opportunity to coach against him in season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter.

Justin Gaethje anticipates the 'Fight of the Century' against Dustin Poirier next 🍿

"I think he’ll take it. Some people around me think he won’t take it. All I can do is focus on myself in that regard.”

▶️ youtu.be/cGPV1CdgMI8 (via @DamonMartin) https://t.co/Vkkzy6YwiR

Gaethje claimed that the UFC had approached him to coach for the upcoming season of TUF prior to his bout with Rafael Fiziev at UFC 286 in March in London, but that Dustin Poirier had declined the offer.

Speaking in a recent interview with Daniel Cormier on his YouTube channel, Gaethje stated:

“Before I signed the Fiziev fight, they asked if I wanted to do The Ultimate Fighter against Poirier, and he said no. I don’t blame him. I wouldn’t do it if I was him when you’ve got that much money. What, you’re going to pay me $80,000 to go f**king six weeks away from my family? No thanks.”

Catch Justin Gaethje's comments below (2:10):

The UFC went on to book Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler as rival coaches for TUF season 31. Gaethje recently got back on track by ending Fiziev's winning streak at UFC 286. Meanwhile, Dustin Poirier returned to winning ways himself with an emphatic submission victory over Michael Chandler at UFC 281.

Poirier and Gaethje put on a fight for the ages in their historic first meeting in 2018. The two warriors stepped into the octagon, leaving behind everything in the back-and-forth slugfest. The fight was a nonstop barrage of attacks, with each combatant pushing the other to their breaking point.

It was a fight that will be remembered for years to come, a testament to both Poirier's and Gaethje's incredible athleticism and grit.

5 years ago today, Dustin Poirier finishes Justin Gaethje in a wild fight https://t.co/RnTqhpyb49

Is Dustin Poirier interested in a rematch with Justin Gaethje?

A rematch between Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier would be spectacular considering the simple fact that both combatants have evolved and improved since their first encounter.

Both former interim lightweight champions have fought just about all of the division's top contenders, and the matchup makes more sense than it ever has given the current state of the lightweight division.

Justin Gaethje explains why he "100% deserves" a rematch with Dustin Poirier or Charles Oliveira next.

#UFC286 | Full story: bit.ly/403oeML https://t.co/Ng3gU9gKBj

Dustin Poirier does not hold a different opinion and is amenable to a rematch. In an interview with FanSided MMA's Amy Kaplan, 'The Diamond' stated:

“It’s a fight that makes me nervous. When I hear a name and I get nervous, it’s motivation. Those are the kind of fights that.... Same thing with Chandler. When I heard Chandler’s name, when they called me with Michael Chandler, I was nervous, because I knew the danger of those kinds of fights, and that’s what motivates me. Same thing with Justin. If they do call me and he’s the name that they say, maybe it happens. We’ll see.”

Watch the full interview below: