The Dagestanis interfere. Poirier and Gaethje are two legends who will never be champions
Igor Nekrasov July 28, 2023, 12:15 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
The Americans will arrange a massacre among themselves, but there is no chance against Makhachev.
On the night of July 29-30, Salt Lake City (USA) will host the UFC 291 mixed martial arts tournament, in whose main fight American fighters Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje will face each other. The second and third numbers of the lightweight division will determine not only the owner of the BMF belt, but also the next opponent of Islam Makhachev in the title fight.
Poirier and Gaethje already met in 2018 and filmed some crazy logging. Dustin won by TKO in the fourth round and the fight itself was recognized as the best fight of that night.
On Poirier and Gaethje’s chances:
Poirier and Gaethje will fight for the belt! The winner will be torn apart by Makhachev.
After that, both fighters went on winning streaks. Poirier defeated Eddie Alvarez and then faced the strong Max Holloway in the battle for the temporary belt. What happened next, everyone remembers very well: the strangulation of Khabib Nurmagomedov and the shattered dreams of winning the championship belt.
Surprisingly similar was the fate of Justin Gati. After the loss to Poirier, Justin won four wins, along with them he took four bonuses: two for best performance of the night and best fight of the night. And then he déjà vu: Nurmagomedov, suffocating, broken dreams.
And even after the losses to Khabib, Justin and Dustin are virtually identical, except Poirier dealt with Conor twice. Both Poirier and Gaethje defeated Michael Chandler, and both lost their title matches to Charles Oliveira via submission.
A fantastic similarity in the careers of two undeniably talented fighters who will meet again in the Octagon. Dana White even prepared a BMF belt: two tough guys will be cut not only for qualifying and a possible title fight with Makhachev, but also for the PR title.
About the BMF belt:
Is it still UFC or is it already wrestling? The BMF Belt Is The Most Ridiculous Idea Of A Big Promotion
Poirier and Gati are similar not only in that they lost to the same opponents, but also in the way they fight. Justin and Dustin have the most powerful blows, such as cutting into the stance, and the upcoming fight seems to be just fierce, especially if you remember what kind of felling they staged five years ago. Of course, since then a lot of water has flowed under the bridge, both have become more experienced. And that makes the fight even more interesting.
Of course, they both want to win and get closer to Islam Makhachev. Gati even declared that a victory over Islam would seal Khabib’s defeat for him. Strange logic, of course, but there is no doubt that both are worthy of a title fight.
“Now the number two of the UFC will fight number three. And the number one will fight the champion in Abu Dhabi. So I think the winner of the Gaethje-Porrier fight will fight the winner of the Makhachev-Oliveira fight. My motivation is the UFC belt. Poirier’s win catapults me straight into a title shot. And I am waiting for this opportunity”, quotes Gati MMA Junkie.
Both fighters are 34 years old and the current title race is likely to be one of the last for Poirier and Gaethje. The one who loses will be forced to go through ranking battles again, and it is not certain that he can earn another shot at the title. Therefore, the upcoming fight is incredibly important for both of them.
The winner of the fight is unlikely to become a UFC champion. If Islam Makhachev is waiting for one of the guys in the title fight, there really won’t be a chance against him. Dagestan is too good for Gaethje and Poirier, like their predecessor Khabib.
