Justin Gaethje has his eyes set on vengeance along with a big payday at UFC 291. When speaking to Cageside Press about his rematch with Dustin Poirier on July 29th, Gaethje said a big goal is staying calm and composed, something he says he failed to do in his last title fight.
“I made a huge mistake in the Oliveira fight, I became super emotional. I think that’s one thing I will not allow to happen in this fight. It’s gonna be a chess match ultimately, but with both of us trying to create damage at all times.”
In such a high-level fight over the course of 5 rounds, Gaethje believes he has to be perfect and use advantages in “athleticism, reaction skills, and intuition” to take the fight to Poirier and “hopefully knock him out like how he TKO’d me back in 2018.”
These are all skills we’ve seen from Gaethje as of late, especially during his decision win over Rafael Fiziev at UFC 286 in March. Gaethje feels his growth as a fighter since his first fight against Poirier will be shown and that he’ll be able to deliver that finish the fans want to see.
BMF Belt
The BMF belt made its introduction at UFC 244 when Jorge Masvidal won the belt by defeating Nate Diaz in the main event. Since that fight, the belt has been put on ice with Dana White going as far as saying that it was a “one and done”. Despite these statements, the UFC announced this massive lightweight rematch for the BMF belt to the surprise of many, including Justin Gaethje who was never a fan of the belt but is happy with the opportunities holding it presents him.
“When Masvidal and Diaz fought for it I was like… ‘this is stupid’. I still think it’s kind of stupid, however, it’s ultimately the UFC giving one more fighter one more opportunity to win and get PPV points. It’s the UFC throwing a bone; we always ask them to throw a bone, and they never do. I’m thankful it’s an opportunity I get to fight for.”
A win in this fight would raise Gaethje’s stock higher than it’s ever been before by making him a champion in the UFC’s eyes and allowing him to reap the benefits of PPV points and owning a belt.
Justin Gaethje Disinterested in Main Event?
When first approached with the rematch against Poirier, Gaethje revealed he did not want a 5-round fight.
“F*** that, I don’t wanna have to fight for 5 rounds if I don’t have to. I get paid the same no matter what. I’d rather fight 3 rounds and I’d rather fight in Boston on August 19th, it gives me 3 more weeks to get ready.”
Quotes via MMA Junkie
After turning down the initial offer, Gaethje was able to come to terms on a deal with the UFC that gave him the increase in pay he was looking for. He believes that Poirier is the right man to put across from him in this fight and that the fireworks are sure to deliver when they step in the cage.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images and Embed from Getty Images
