Following his victory at UFC 313, Justin Gaethje, a top contender, mentioned that he is not interested in facing Dustin Poirier for the third time. Both fighters have previously secured a win against each other in past encounters.
Dustin Poirier achieved a notable fourth-round knockout against Justin Gaethje in their first match in April 2018. Gaethje then retaliated with a spectacular head kick knockout at UFC 291 five years later. Despite both athletes being at a similar stage in their careers, a potential trilogy fight is a frequent topic among fans and media.
After his recent victory over Rafael Fiziev, Gaethje explained his reluctance towards a third fight with Poirier at the post-fight press conference.
“No,” Gaethje stated, adding, “I’ve said many times, I don’t believe either of our families deserve to go through that again. We are even at 1-1, and I am content with that outcome. If Dustin is also satisfied, then there’s no need for a third fight.”
Gaethje elaborated, “I believe we remain contenders by competing against other fighters. If I were to defeat him again, I don’t think it would significantly elevate either of our positions as contenders.”
When asked about who Poirier should fight next, possibly for his retirement, Gaethje suggested a fight against the current lightweight champion.
“That’s a good question, I’m not sure,” Gaethje responded. “Perhaps Makhachev.”
Interestingly, Poirier was positioned ahead of Gaethje in the title contention after their second fight, in spite of his loss. Poirier bounced back with a victory over rising contender Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299, which led to his title fight against Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 in June. Makhachev won by a fifth-round submission, defending his lightweight title.
Gaethje has previously competed for the undisputed championship twice. His hopes for a third title shot were dashed after a knockout loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300. However, with his recent win over Fiziev and another Fight of the Night bonus, Gaethje’s primary goal remains unchanged: to become the UFC lightweight champion.
“My goal is to fight for the championship belt, of course,” Gaethje said. “It’s a very different challenge compared to my last fight. They presented me with a difficult opponent, and now I need to refocus and get back on track if I want to compete against Makhachev.”
