Dustin Poirier v Justin Gaethje rematch ‘perfectly’ set up – ‘Whoever loses could kiss world UFC title goodbye’

A rematch between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje for the BMF title in the main event of UFC 291 five years after their first epic battle could get “personal”, reckons TNT Sports expert Michael Bisping.

Poirier is currently seeded second in the lightweight division, while Gaethje is positioned just behind in third.

The winner of the fight will not only have the prestigious BMF title to wear but may also have the opportunity for another championship opportunity next year.

“It was five years ago; of course they’ve both grown, but deep down inside themselves they’re still the same people, they’re still the same fighters, they still want to win just as much and still deliver the same kind of violence,” said Michael Bisping when previewing the main event of UFC 291, held at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

“Yes, it’s a rematch, it makes it a little bit more personal, they know each other… what does that mean? It means they will push themselves to the limit in the training camp.

“Justin Gaethje obviously wants to get revenge, he wants to get that one back, Dustin Poirier wants to get that win because it doesn’t matter, you don’t rest on your laurels. One win over Justin Gaethje is incredible, two is legendary.

“But more importantly, yeah they want to be the BMF champ, and I really do mean that’s incredible – what a cool thing that would be – but they want to be the lightweight champion of the world.

“And these are two men that are two of the very best, and they’re right there. They were both interim champions, they’re both called Justin and Dustin – their names rhyme! They’ve got a lot in common.”

Fresh from beating Rafael Fiziev on points after a thriller, Bisping believes that Gaethje is in great shape – but he refuses to discount Poirier.

He said: “They’re going to fight the same way that they always do. Last time out, Justin Gaethje against Rafael Fiziev here in London, that was sensational; that was the best performance of his career. He looks so fast, so incredible. The leg kicks were always on display, the speed of the punches were ridiculous, and the adjustments and the fight IQ that he shows as the fight progressed was incredible.”

Bisping added: “And to add drama to an already drama-packed fight, whoever loses this, they could potentially kiss a world title goodbye.”

The career path of the two fighters – both aged 34 – are frighteningly similar since they met in 2018 with both suffering losses to Kabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliviera, and Nick Peet insists both men have a point to prove.

“He [Gaethje] was incredible but you could also say that Dustin has gotten a lot better since they last fought as well. They’ve got a common loss with Kabib [Nurmagomedov], they’ve both got a common loss with [Charles] Oliviera as well – the only guys who have beaten both of them since their last fight,” said Peet.

“Their careers are so similar in that regard but what will be burning up inside is the fact that they’ve both been interim champ, they’ve both been the second-best guy in the room – they want to be the best guy in the room and the only way you get near that is by beating the other guy and that’s why I think it’s just set up so perfectly.”

Offering advice to both fighters, Peet continued: “The first time around, I thought Justin’s tactics with the leg kicks were absolutely spot on, he chewed up at Dustin’s front leg and he forced him to change stance. But he took too many shots, he was walking forward, he never used any grappling. He was easy to hit, his head was on a straight line and Dustin eventually got to him in the fourth round. That has to change for Justin, and for Dustin, look out for those leg kicks – don’t let him chew you up.”

Meanwhile, Saturday’s co-main event is another tantalising battle as former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz takes on ex-middleweight fighter Alex Pereira.

In a recent interview with Bisping, Blachowicz, surprisingly, has vowed not to wrestle with Pereira. Such a game plan, if executed, would make for a fascinating contest.

Bisping explained: “I said to him, ‘oh, you’re going use the grappling, you’re going to take him down’ and he said, ‘no, I believe in my Polish power. I’m going to go out there and I’m going to stand. I want to trade with this guy. I want to prove to myself and to the world that I can beat this guy on the feet.’

“And I said ‘that doesn’t sound like the smartest thing.’ He said, ‘no, trust me, for me personally, I need to prove to myself that I can do that.’

“Now, we’ll see what happens.”