Gaethje destroyed Poirier with a miraculous haikick. Contender for the best knockout of the year?
Jul 30, 2023 07:52 am UTC Audio Version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
Justin took revenge and won the belt of the main “bad boy” of the UFC.
On the night of July 30, at the UFC 291 tournament, two lightweight stars Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje decided which of them was worthy of becoming the new BMF titleholder. Both fighters were determined to fight as the fight was potentially supposed to have contender’s status.
This is Poirier’s second fight with Gaethje. For the first time they shared the Octagon in 2018, and then they rolled a brilliant and uncompromising knockdown, which ended with Dustin’s victory by knockout in the fourth round. Gati claims that he fought stupidly then, and five years later he is ready to show that he has improved a lot.
Both fighters moved closer to the duel full time after the victories. Also, Poirier first lost in the title match to Charles Oliveira, and then closed out this loss by choking Michael Chandler. Gati in the last fight turned out to be stronger than Rafael Fiziev, but before that he also lost the chance for the title, losing to the same Oliveira.
And overall, the last few years of Justin and Dustin’s career brought a lot of fun intersections: They’re both former interim champions, they both lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Oliveira via submission. And since their previous head-to-head fight, both Poirier and Gaethje have fought eight fights each: two losses, two decision wins and four stoppages each.
All UFC 291 events:
Live
UFC 291: Gaethje takes revenge on Poirier and takes the belt! Now Highlight needs Makhachev. LIVE
What was definitely expected from this battle was a no-compromise firefight. Poirier is one of the most spectacular forwards in the division with perhaps the best boxing and technique. Gaethje is not far behind and is ready to organize a felling in every battle. Yes, Justin acts less technically, but he is famous for his low kicks, which make life very difficult for his opponents. However, Porrier was considered the favorite for the fight.
The fight started off without a hitch. Gati habitually knocked out his opponent’s leg and forced him to change stance. Dustin was traditionally patient, pressing lightly and taking hits at the right time. However, Justin occasionally headbutts in exchanges as well. Porrier strictly adhered to the plan, did not get lost and at least twice gave Gaethje serious trouble, bleeding him on the way.
The second round began again with exchanges of hands, but already in the first minute, Poirier missed a terribly powerful haikick and formed up on the canvas. Even the block didn’t save Dustin from the shock.
Justin Gaethje promised a more competent fight and he showed it. Lesson learned. Highlight takes convincing revenge on Poirier and wins the BMF belt. What happens now with both fighters? Gaethje is in line for a title shot and will be waiting to fight the winner of the Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira bout. And Poirier will wait for the next big opponent and try to get back on the winning streak.
