Poirier vs Gaethje 30/07/2023 – Sunday 03:00 GMT
Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje will lock horns for a second time in the UFC with the symbolic BMF title on the line.
No matter how seriously you take the symbolic championship, there’s no question about the seriousness of this fight.
Their battle in 2018 was a thoroughly enjoyable spectacle as Poirier picked up a fourth round TKO victory in what proved to be the ‘Fight of the Night’.
Since then, both men have gone on to challenge for undisputed world honours – both coming up short at separate times.
Poirier had two shots at glory with the first coming against Khabib Nurmagomedov back in 2019. The American tapped out to a rear-naked choke in the third round, though just two years later he earned another world title opportunity.
Unfortunately for ‘The Diamond’ the outcome was exactly the same as Charles Oliveira prevailed at UFC 269 – also courtesy of a third-round rear-naked choke.
Gaethje, on the other hand, went on a four-fight win streak following his loss to Poirier back in 2018.
After claiming the interim lightweight championship against Tony Ferguson, Gaethje challenged Nurmagomedov but was forced to tap out in the second round.
Just two years later, the American squared off with Oliveira at UFC 274 but found himself on the wrong end of a first-round rear-naked choke.
Despite their recent world title defeats, both men have sharpened their tools since their first meeting and another thriller is on the cards.
While Gaethje tends to be more aggressive, his style does open up holes in his defence and makes him susceptible against an intelligent fighter like Poirier.
Then again, Gaethje is regarded as the more powerful striker and he won’t need a second invitation when an opportunity to strike comes his way.
Poirier vs Gaethje 30/07/2023 – Verdict
This is a real fifty-fifty contest and one which many have touted as a potential ‘Fight of the Year’ contender if it does indeed live up to expectations.
With regards to the winner, we’re backing Gaethje to learn from his mistakes, utilise his power and have his arm raised following a decision victory.
