When it comes right down to it, it doesn’t matter if Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje 2 was for the BMF title, a gold medal, or a 50 cent prize from a box of Cracker Jacks. People just wanted to see the fight.
Arguably the easiest sell in UFC history, the rematch between two of the most violent men on the planet capped off UFC 291 in Salt Lake City on Saturday night. Yes, that marketing trinket known as the BMF (Baddest Motherf*cker) title, last seen in Masvidal vs. Diaz in 2019, was on the line. “Gamebred” himself was even on hand to award it to the winner. But the fight wasn’t about the belt; that was not what captured fans’ imaginations.
No two fighters in any one weight class have ever wreaked the sort of chaos and damage that Poirier and Gaethje have to this point. Every fight from both men is must-watch. Every fight has not just Fight of the Night but Fight of the Year potential. Both men had held interim gold, and looked at Saturday’s rematch as a legacy fight. But both would freely admit that they felt a win should put them next in line for proper lightweight gold, likely against the winner of Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira 2.
Would Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 live up to its potential? There was little chance it wouldn’t, but regardless, tune if after the fight for the UFC 291 post-fight press conference. A live stream can be viewed in the embed above.
