November 2, 2024

Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje, not Eddie Alvarez, targeted for lightweight tilt

Justin Gaethje will return against Dustin Poirier this spring.
Esther Lin, MMA Fighting

Dustin Poirier may not be landing his rematch with Eddie Alvarez next, but “The Diamond” is still getting a big fight nonetheless.

An action-packed lightweight showdown between Poirier and former World Series of Fighting champion Justin Gaethje is being targeted for the UFC’s spring schedule. MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani confirmed the news Wednesday following an initial report by MMA Junkie.

While a date for Gaethje vs. Poirier has yet to be finalized, the bout is trending toward taking place in either April or May.

Gaethje (18-1) looks to rebound after suffering his first career defeat at the hands of Eddie Alvarez in December at UFC 218.

Nicknamed “The Highlight,” Gaethje began his Octagon run with a thunderous TKO win overMichael Johnson in a bout that took top honors as 2017’s Fight of the Year. The 29-year-old Gaethje then carried that momentum into a coaching role on The Ultimate Fighter 26 alongside Alvarez, but ultimately faltered for the first time in his career, losing to Alvarez via second-round TKO last month.

Despite the setback, Gaethje remains the UFC’s No. 5 ranked lightweight, according to the promotion’s media-generated rankings.

Poirier (22-5, 1 NC), meanwhile, bounced back from his own disappointment to Alvarez with a third-round TKO win over former UFC champion Anthony Pettis in November. Afterward, Poirier campaigned hard for a rematch against Alvarez, as the pair’s infamous UFC 211 meeting ended in an anticlimactic no-contest after Alvarez landed a pair of illegal knees on Poirier midway through the bout’s second round. Instead, though, Poirier will face the man Alvarez just defeated.

Poirier is currently the UFC’s No. 6 ranked lightweight.

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