UFC 291: More at Stake in BMF Battle Between Poirier and Gaethje

By
Gabriel Gonzalez
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Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, UFC 291 ceremonial weigh-in Credit: Eddie Law/Cageside Press

UFC lightweights Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje have plenty more at stake than the BMF title when they collide at UFC 291 this Saturday.

History says that Dustin Poirier will shine in this moment.  “The Diamond” has been in his share of pay-per-view headliners where it seemed like a shot at lightweight gold was imminent with a victory, and each time he’s delivered in memorable fashion.  In 2019, he ended the win-streak of featherweight legend Max Holloway to claim the interim title.  In 2021, he had back-to-back victories over global superstar Conor McGregor and looked dominant in both matches.  Even entering this Saturday, he shows no sign of slowing down after stepping into the fire with Michael Chandler last November and walking out of Madison Square Garden victorious in a seminally exciting bout.

But there’s another side of the coin that even he can not ignore.  At 34 years-old, he has tread on the tires but is not done fighting his best MMA.  The title picture reads almost perfectly for him: a relatively fresh champion in Islam Makhachev means he’s on the short list for a title shot with a victory if not the outright next challenger.  However, with Charles Oliveira already booked for a bout with Makhachev in October, and featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski eager to re-enter the 155 title picture, the road to work his way back up the ranks should he suffer a setback may be the most daunting one yet at this stage of his career.  Add in the element of also wanting to assume the mantle of BMF from his longtime teammate Jorge Masvidal and it’s a high pressure situation to say the least.

Justin Gaethje has said himself that he expects this to be his last run.  If that is so, it has been an amazing one to say the least.  The former WSOF champion was an exciting fighter prior to entering the Octagon in 2016, but the bright lights of the UFC skyrocketed his popularity to another stratosphere entirely.  He is amongst the most popular fighters on the roster behind a fan-friendly style that has delivered multiple Fight of the Year candidates.  His victory against Rafael Fiziev this past March was another exciting contest, but this Saturday is expected to be his flagship entry into the FOTY conversation for 2023.

Simliar to Poirier, “The Highlight” has had his own odyssey with the lightweight title.  After being the odd man out of the conversation in 2020, the shuffle of the deck due to the pandemic led to a seminal victory over Tony Ferguson to win the interim title.  Every bout has felt like the biggest of his career since as he’s alternated wins and losses against the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Michael Chandler, and Charles Oliveira.  After two unsuccessful attempts to claim the undisputed belt, the third time may be the charm.  But to reach that opportunity, Gaethje must overcome history and even the score with a dangerous foe who is as electrifying as he is.  Considering he has said this title run would be his last, it adds another level of anticipation around him specifically as well.

The winner of this bout is the next logical choice for a shot at the title currently held by Islam Makhachev.  But with a defense against Charles Oliveira already scheduled for October, the timetable for Poirier or Gatheje’s next bout could be up in the air.  While it would make sense to wait for the title shot to materialize, a scenario where the bout remains locked up (such as Oliveira winning and a trilogy taking place) could lead to the new BMF taking on another challenge like Volkanovski should the featherweight champion move up in weight class again.

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