Dustin Poirier reaffirmed what he set out to achieve at lightweight a month before his second career title fight.
What will be Poirier's upcoming event?
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Dustin Poirier will compete for the official lightweight title for the second time against incumbent King Charles Oliveira at UFC 269 in early December.
The American boxer had a fantastic year, winning two major fights against Conor McGregor, helping to bring him unparalleled fame and fortune, as well as a shot at the title at the end of the year.
Though the title fight had not yet occurred, Justin Gaethje and Islam Makhachev were ready to walk out of the UFC 269 cage with the lightweight championship belt.
Gaethje's notable speech before the match
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Justin Ray Gaethje is a former UFC Lightweight Interim Champion. The 33-year-old American is currently ranked second in the UFC lightweight rankings.
After Michael Chandler's honorable 3 rounds at UFC 268 at the moment, Gaethje is most outstanding. Heading back to the title match, Gaethje stated that he wanted Charles Oliveira to conquer so that Dustin Poirier would be scared of facing him again.
Gaethje had some words to say about the title fight: “If he doesn’t land the shot in the first round, he knows he’s going to have to go through that again. If he beats Charles Oliveira, I don’t know if he fights me. I think he just walks away, calls it good. So I kind of hope Charles Oliveira wins so I get to fight him March, April, May. If Dustin Poirier wins, I’m going to have to really entice him to f*cking get in there again."
Recall the 2018 encounter: Dustin Poirier vs Justin Gaethje
Photo: mmanews
In 2018, Dustin Poirier crushed Justin Gaethje in a fight that was dubbed "Match of the Year" by many reliable news sources. Poirier had to pay a high price with 115 powerful attacks, along with 50 low-kick shots from the rival, to get a series of combos to finish Gaethje in the fourth round.
Dustin Poirier, according to Justin Gaethje, does not want a second battle with him.
Poirier considered it Gaethje's trap?
Dustin Poirier must reaffirm his goal shortly to gain Justin Gaethje's trust: not money, but titles. "The Diamond" also reveals Gaethje's use of the media trap to get him to agree to a rematch.
“It’s enticing, it makes people interested, it’s a hook, he’s hoping I bite onto it and beat Oliveira and, ‘Ah, Gaethje, I’ve got to give it to him now because he’s the one running his mouth."
“Good on him. I’m a fan of him. I have nothing bad to say about the guy, but I beat him that night in his hometown. What else can I say?" - Poirier about the 2018 TKO.
He added: "But I'm a fighter, I’m fortune enough now, with this year that I’ve had, I could walk away. It’s a great position to be in, but these guys need ass-whoopings, and I’m the guy to give it to them. And we can’t walk away like that".
Poirier stressed: "I’m not walking away. I’m a young man in his prime."
Dustin Poirier's desire to win the title and educate the boys
Dustin Poirier still has a lot of work to do, the first of which is to finish the title race.
Dustin Poirier's current target is not Justin Gaethje, because he has yet to experience the thrill of wearing the official championship belt on his hip. The goal of defeating Charles Oliveira at UFC 269 must still come first.
However, whether or not he has the championship belt, Dustin Poirier will almost certainly have to confront names from the first group, such as Justin Gaethje or Islam Makhachev; now, "The Diamond" will have more time to demonstrate his desire to teach the boys.
When will the event take place?
On December 11, UFC 269 will occur in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States (on the morning of December 12, Vietnam time). The main event featured Charles Oliveira defending his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier.
