UFC 291: Henry Cejudo hails Dustin Poirier's 'taking it' threshold, breaks down fight with Justin Gaethje
Henry Cejudo had a lot of praise for Dustin Poirier as he prepares for his upcoming rematch with Justin Gaethje at UFC 291 this Saturday.
Cejudo uploaded a video to his Twitter account where he analyzed the improvements that Poirier has made as a fighter. He mentioned that the former interim lightweight champion has fought a lot smarter than in his early years in the UFC without losing his drive in the octagon.
He wrote:
".@DustinPoirier has evolved as a fighter since entering the UFC. He's not just a brawler: he's become a tactician. Without losing any of that DOG in him"
.@DustinPoirier has evolved as a fighter since entering the UFC. He's not just a brawler: he's become a tactician. Without losing any of that DOG in him 💯
Poirier vs @Justin_Gaethje is gonna be 🔥🔥🔥
FULL FILM BREAKDOWN: youtu.be/m58XhmZ7YOA
Powered by @liftedtrucksaz 🛻 pic.twitter.com/t4HPID4r3V
While analyzing 'The Diamond's performances, the former two-division UFC champion noted that his ability to both give punishment and take it has separated him from others in the division. He also mentioned that he is impressed with Poirier's resilience for a full five-round fight, which could give him the edge at UFC 291, saying:
"This dude has beaten some of the most violent people. Sometimes I wonder if Poirier has done a 23andMe, if he actually has Mexican in him because he is a machine, man. He's got this warrior spirit, it's a trip...He takes it to another level because he can give it and he can take it! Not everybody has the ability of actually taking it."
There is more incentive for Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje at UFC 291 as the winner of their rematch will become the new 'BMF' title holder.
Ex-UFC fighter Kenny Florian not a fan of 'BMF' title being brought back at UFC 291
UFC 291 will see the return of the 'BMF' title after Jorge Masvidal relinquished it following his retirement this past April.
Despite the anticipation and excitement for the main event between Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier, there are many in the MMA community that aren't too happy about the 'BMF' title being brought back. Among those is former UFC title challenger Kenny Florian, who noted that he isn't a fan of how the title is marketed.
During an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Florian noted that he is excited about the main event but doesn't believe the promotion needs the 'BMF' title. He mentioned that all the elite fighters are tough and don't see the appeal of the title, saying:
"I'm not a fan of the 'BMF' belt, it's an amazing fight. Let's just leave it at that...I don't like those gimmicky things myself. I'm just not a huge of those things, but you know, every promotion is gonna do things differently." [11:45 - 12:26]