Former interim UFC lightweight champion, Dustin Poirier, is hyped up to get the chance to share the Octagon for a second time with fellow former interim champ, Justin Gaethje this summer.
Poirier spoke with journalist Ariel Helwani on the latest edition of his show The MMA Hour on Monday ahead of his BMF title rematch with Gaethje at UFC 291 in July and explained his desire to be in difficult fights, something that sparked this matchup. Poirier won the pair's first meeting at UFC on Fox 29 back in April 2018 via a fourth-round TKO.
“Because I need it,” Poirier said (h/t MMA Fighting). “That’s where I do my best. That’s where I’m the most motivated. That’s where I learn the most about myself and about combat sports. That’s where greatness is, man, in that uncomfortable — and that’s what I try to do, is put myself in that fire. And this is one of those fights that does it. If this fight doesn’t get you excited, you’re not a fan of combat sports. Turn off YouTube right now and stop watching this show, because this fight is what I’m going to pick the ‘War’ hat up for. I know what I’m going into — it’s a head-on collision and I’m not turning away. That’s what this fight is and that’s what I want. That excites me, dude. It gets me pumped up right now.”
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