"His experience in the game is second to none" - Justin Gaethje says Dustin Poirier should not be 'playing jiu-jitsu' with Charles Oliveira
Justin Gaethje has advised Dustin Poirier that he shouldn’t attempt to engage in a jiu-jitsu battle with Charles Oliveira at UFC 269.
At the final UFC pay-per-view of the year, Poirier will challenge Oliveira with the aim of winning the UFC lightweight championship for the first time. He’s already held the interim belt but has never been an undisputed champion at 155 pounds. On December 11, he’ll have the chance to do just that.
The last PPV of 2021 is gonna be one helluva card 💥
[ #UFC269 | Dec 11 | @TMobileArena ] https://t.co/NLX8DmrcRk
The big problem for Dustin Poirier is going to be the ground game of Oliveira. As stated by Gaethje during an interview with Yahoo Sports, 'The Diamond' needs to be extra careful when tussling with 'Do Bronx'.
“You don’t wanna play jiu-jitsu with Charles Oliveira. Dustin Poirier doesn’t wanna play jiu-jitsu with Charles Oliveira. I think Poirier is better on the feet but I do think Oliveira does possess some crazy skills, his experience in this game is second to none. Him and Poirier, they’ve been around for a long time, they’ll probably be combined for the most fights ever to fight for a title. Whoever makes the first mistake at this level is gonna lose and I don’t know who that’s gonna be.”
Regardless of which way that one goes, it seems pretty likely that Dustin Poirier and Charles Oliveira are going to put on a real show for the fans.
The history between Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier
While Gaethje has never squared off against Charles Oliveira, one man he has fought during his UFC career is Dustin Poirier. Back in April 2018, the two lightweight titans met in an absolute classic that came at the height of Justin Gaethje’s chaotic style of fighting.
Dustin Poirier earns his 12th KO in an epic battle against Justin Gaethje https://t.co/el0Yxo7FSc
In the end, Dustin Poirier was able to secure a TKO win early in the fourth round, a victory which took him one step closer to the title.
Gaethje would eventually reinvent himself and become far more technical inside the cage. That led him all the way to a title shot of his own against Khabib Nurmagomedov last year.
If both men win their upcoming bouts, there’s a very good chance we could see a rematch next year for the lightweight gold.