Written by Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Justin Gaethje returned to the win column at UFC 313 and kept himself in line for a marquee matchup next, but there’s one big name he’s not interested in seeing in the octagon again: Two-time opponent Dustin Poirier.
The lightweight stars have twice clashed, with Poirier earning a spectacular fourth-round knockout of Gaethje when they first fought in April 2018 and Gaethje avenging that loss with a highlight-reel head kick at UFC 291 five years later. With Gaethje and Poirier both in the twilight of their careers, a third matchup between them has frequently been discussed among fans and media.
Following his win over Rafael Fiziev on Saturday, Gaethje explained why he doesn’t want to meet Poirier in a trilogy bout.
“No,” Gaethje said at the evening’s post-fight press conference. “I’ve stated many times that I don’t think either one of our families deserve that. We’re 1-1. I’m OK with it. If he’s OK with it, then no.
“I think we’re contenders if we beat other people. If I beat him, I don’t think either one of us would be considered a contender.”
Asked for his opinion as to who Poirier should face in a retirement bout, Gaethje suggested he get another crack at the current lightweight champion.
“I don’t know, it’s a good question,” Gaethje said. “Makhachev.”
Poirier actually leapfrogged Gaethje in the title race following their second fight, despite the loss. “The Diamond” rebounded with a win over fast-rising contender Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299 and the timing worked out for him to fight Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 the following June. Makhachev defeated Poirier via fifth-round submission to retain the lightweight title.
Gaethje has twice challenged for the undisputed championship, but missed out on a third opportunity when he was on the wrong-end of a buzzer-beating knockout at the hands of Max Holloway at UFC 300. With a win over Fiziev and another Fight of the Night bonus in his pocket, Gaethje’s end goal remains the same: To become UFC lightweight champion.
“I want to fight for the belt, obviously,” Gaethje said. “It’s a much different matchup than I just had. They tried to give me a donut. I took a bite, but I’ve got to get back to running if I’m going to fight Makhachev.”