“I played a different game back then” – Justin Gaethje on why a rematch with Dustin Poirier would have a different result to the first

Justin Gaethje has suggested a rematch with Dustin Poirier would end differently than their first fight. ‘The Highlight’ asserted he “played a different game back then”, indicating he’s confident about beating Poirier in a rematch.

Gaethje and Poirier first fought in April 2018. The back-and-forth matchup saw both men inflict significant amounts of damage on one another. In the end, it was ‘The Diamond’ who defeated Gaethje via fourth-round TKO.

In an edition of the Throwing Down podcast on MMA on SiriusXM, Justin Gaethje opened up on multiple topics. Shedding light upon how he feels he’d fare against Poirier if they clash again inside the octagon, Gaethje stated:

“Yeah, I think it would be fantastic to watch, you know. Once it happens, I’ll be excited to watch it. Every single fight of mine is the same, you know, extremely entertaining. Yeah, the fight with him the first time, he was very good.” Gaethje added, “I played a different game back then. It was, you know, who’s tougher? Who’s stronger? And he outlasted me and landed that shot. The shots he took, I was surprised. And again, that’s why I have so much respect for the heart and will of that guy.”

Watch Justin Gaethje address a possible rematch against Dustin Poirier in the video below:

A Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor grudge match could take precedence over Poirier’s rematch against Justin Gaethje

Reigning UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira is set to defend his title against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269. The consensus is the UFC will accord Justin Gaethje the next title shot against the winner of the Oliveira-Poirier matchup in 2022.

Nevertheless, Poirier’s feud with Conor McGregor remains a key factor in the UFC lightweight title landscape. Their trilogy fight at UFC 264 in July of this year ended in anticlimactic fashion, as McGregor suffered a leg injury that resulted in Poirier winning via first-round TKO.

Conor McGregor has consistently maintained that their rivalry is far from over and has vowed to defeat ‘The Diamond’ when he returns to face him for the fourth time. McGregor has also highlighted that his comeback fight will be against whoever holds the UFC lightweight title. ‘Notorious’ is expected to return in mid-2022.

Considering the circumstances, it’s likely that if Poirier wins the lightweight belt, he could choose to wait for a ‘money fight’ against McGregor rather than rematch Gaethje first.

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