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After delivering a Fight of the Night performance against Michael Chandler last time out, Dustin Poirier has been waiting for his next opponent and he may have found that in Justin Gaethje.
'The Highlight' is without a doubt one of the most entertaining fighters in the sport, which was on show yet again when he welcomed rising prospect Rafael Fiziev into the cage this past weekend. Both men put on a striking clinic, but it was Gaethje who got his hand raised and name-checked 'The Diamond' as his next potential opponent, prompting a response from the No.2-ranked lightweight.
Dustin Poirier responded to the possible matchup with a simple but clear message.
The 155-pound division is quite congested at the top, though it will be hard to deny the winner of Poirier vs. Gaethje a title shot should they face each other for the second time.
The American Top Team representative is no stranger to championship fights, as his last two losses have come whilst competing for gold. Forcing his way into title fights with two brilliant runs, the 34-year-old was submitted by both Charles Oliveira and Khabib Nurmagomedov, making him 0-2 in undisputed belt clashes.
'The Diamond' has been a mainstay in the UFC since debuting back in 2011, though he did fight twice for WEC before the merger. The lightweight has competed 28 times inside the octagon and managed to claim an interim title on one occasion.
Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje: What happened the last time these two met in the octagon?
Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje looks a great possibility to go ahead next as the two stars aim to bulldoze their way into title contention. But what happened when the lightweights met in the octagon in 2018?
Gaethje's managed to tone his fighting style down whilst maintaining the entertainment. Back then, however, 'The Highlight' was a wild brawler who looked to make each outing a dog fight. He did this five years ago when he met 'The Diamond' in the cage, but it didn't go his way.
Despite having some standout moments in the fight – particularly his sickening leg kicks – the knockout artist was caught by the much more technical striking of Dustin Poirier early into the fourth round of their meeting. The clash was voted the 2018 Fight of the Year, leaving high hopes for their potential next collision.
