Dustin Poirier has shared his thoughts on the upcoming lightweight title fight.
Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje will unify the division within the UFC White House foremost event on June 14.
Fans can’t wait to see the 155lb champions throw down, but Dustin Poirier‘s overriding emotion ahead of the fight is concern.
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Dustin Poirier fears for Justin Gaethje against Ilia Topuria
Dustin Poirier expressed his dislike of the Ilia Topuria vs Justin Gaethje matchup on Tuesday.
‘The Diamond’ shared his concern for Gaethje during an appearance on Joe Rogan‘s MMA show.
“Dude, I really like Justin,” Poirier said.
“I’m a fan. I don’t like this matchup for him.”
Rogan interjected: “Justin knows what he’s stepping into, and it’s hard to count that dude out.”
Poirier’s response appeared to suggest Gaethje has not more than a puncher’s probability against Topuria.
The previous BMF champion concluded: “Yeah, he can land a shot but…”
Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje’s relationship explained
Dustin Poirier has developed a deep respect for Justin Gaethje during their long rivalry.
Poirier won by TKO at the beginning of the fourth round once they first fought in April 2018.
‘The Diamond’ had to beat early adversity when Gaethje hammered him with leg kicks during a back-and-forth ‘Fight of the 12 months’ contender, which saw each men nearly finished before ‘The Diamond’ emerged victorious.
Gaethje got his revenge once they rematched with the BMF title on the road at UFC 291 in July 2023.
Poirier was knocked out cold by a head kick within the second round of their second MMA fight.
It seems unlikely that we’ll ever get to see Poirier and Gaethje complete their trilogy.
Poirier is retired, and Gaethje has been talking about calling it a profession throughout 2026.
So, it looks just like the lightweight rivals will probably be tied at 1-1 for the remainder of eternity.