Dustin Poirier didn’t expect to face Justin Gaethje once more after their first meeting – “I don’t want to do that again”

Dustin Poirier recently claimed he did not expect to face Justin Gaethje in the octagon for the second time. This weekend, Poirier will face Gaethje at UFC 291 in the Delta Center located in Salt Lake City. The pair will go head-to-head for the coveted ‘BMF’  title.

Poirier first fought Gaethje at UFC on Fox 29 in April 2018. While Gathje found success early with his devastating leg kicks, ‘The Diamond’ applied his exceptional boxing skills to pepper ‘The Highlight’ with brutal combos. The two explosive lightweights put on a striking clinic over four action-packed rounds, at the end of which Poirier secured a TKO victory. 

Given the brutality of their first meeting, Dustin Poirier wasn’t looking forward to a rematch.  At the UFC 291 media day, Poirier was asked if he ever considered fighting Gaethje again after their first fight. He replied:

“No… I actually sat next to Justin at one of the pay-per-views in Vegas. We were talking, chopping it up, and I told him, ‘Dude, I don’t want to do that again.’ I told him that… And here we are, about to throw hands. Honestly, throughout the five years since the first fight, I didn’t see it coming.”

Catch Poirier’s comments below (3:35):

Dustin Poirier claims to have an “unwritten agreement” with Justin Gaethje about selling their UFC 291 fight 

Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje aren’t keen on trash-talking each other to sell their upcoming BMF title fight. The two mercurial lightweight contenders, who are set to throw down this weekend, see no need to market their bout any more than necessary. 

As mentioned above, Poirier and Gaethje fought one of the most entertaining fights of 2018. After a slugfest that matched up to every expectation, ‘The Diamond’ stunningly defeated the Arizona native via fourth-round TKO. The fight also won the two fighters a $50,000 ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus. Fans are already hyped to see them run it back, considering how entertaining their first bout was.

While fighters exchanging barbs in the build-ups to fights is common, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje have notably steered away from engaging each other that way. 

In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Poirier discussed the same. Claiming that they have an “unwritten agreement” between them, he said:

“It’s cool because we have an understanding. We have an unwritten agreement. We know what we’re going to try to do to each other on Saturday night. I think the hardcore fans, maybe even the casual fans, understand that too. We don’t have to push each other off the stage and curse at each other at a press conference or be crazy to sell the fight. Cause’ you know what you’re getting with this.”

Watch the full interview below: