Justin Gaethje makes feelings known about a trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier, heaps high praise on 'The Diamond's' career
Justin Gaethje recently shared his thoughts on Dustin Poirier's MMA career and weighed in on whether or not the pair will meet inside the octagon for a third time.
'The Diamond' has his sights set on retirement after one final bout in the octagon this summer in his home state of Louisiana. Whilst an opponent has yet to be announced, fans have been hoping to see him face-off against Gaethje one last time, as the pair are 1-1 in their head-to-head.
Poirier picked up the win back in 2018 in their first encounter, finishing Gaethje in the fourth round. 'The Highlight' then avenged his defeat at UFC 291 in 2023, where he stopped Poirier with a stunning head kick knockout to win the symbolic BMF title.
During a recent interview with SHAK MMA, Justin Gaethje was asked his thoughts on Dustin Poirier's career and a potential trilogy bout between the pair. He first opted to heap praise on Poirier's legacy, stating:
"I've been a fan of this guy [Poirier] since day one, especially having shared the cage with him...I've been a fan of this sport for a long time and he's one of the guys I love to watch. I think he'll certainly be in the Hall of Fame."
In regards to a third meeting between the pair, Gaethje added:
"I've said it publicly and I'll say it again I don't think there's any reason our families need to go through that again. We're 1-1, so yeah."
Check out Justin Gaethje's comments below (8:25):
Justin Gaethje talks dangers of MMA as he returns from KO loss
Justin Gaethje is set to return to the octagon next month when he faces Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313. The bout marks a first return to action for 'The Highlight' since he suffered a devastating knockout loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300.
Ahead of his upcoming bout, Gaethje took part in an interview with Kevin Iole. The MMA reporter asked the 36-year-old if he considered retiring after suffering such a brutal loss, to which Gaethje opted to highlight the dangers of the sport he competes in. He explained:
"If it happens again I'm sure it'll be it. I think the human body is very resilient, and I think it needs time. I took the time, I took six months without getting hit. I think we play the most violent sport in the world but I don't think it's the most dangerous for that specific factor. We can take time between these traumatic brain injuries. You see [American] football players stacking two [concussions] on top of each other in one season. You see boxers getting three [concussions] in one night. That's detrimental."
Check out Justin Gaethje's comments below (1:35):