Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier expect lightweight title shot

UFC fighter Justin Gaethje. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier both expect lightweight title shot with UFC 293 win

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 7/26/23

The last time Justin Gaethje (24-4) fought Dustin Poirier (29-7), it likely delayed his first shot at the UFC lightweight championship.

Poirier, who won via fourth-round TKO, fought for the belt just two fights later, while it took Gaethje an additional four fights before he got to compete for the 155-pound belt. But Gaethje believes a win over Poirier in their July 29 rematch at UFC 293 instantly puts him in line as the division’s No. 1 contender.

“I think this is No. 2 vs. No. 3, (and) No. 1 is fighting the champion in October, then we’re going to fight the winner of that, the winner of this fight,” Gaethje told reporters at UFC 291 media day on Wednesday. “The aspirations are the championship belt. I think this catapults me right to that. I won’t be looking to defend that. If I have the choice, it’s going to be going for that championship belt.”

Our BMF matchup by the numbers! @DustinPoirier and @Justin_Gaethje meet again Saturday night!

[ #UFC291 | B2YB @ThorneHealth ] pic.twitter.com/xGmLfaYitX
— UFC (@ufc) July 26, 2023

“I haven’t been told directly that the winner is fighting for the belt, but I assume that,” Poirier added. “I don’t want to look forward that far because Saturday needs to happen. It’s a crazy thing we do. But the plan is to get my hand raised and then when the smoke clears, we’ll assess the next fight and where the division is at and what happens in Abu Dhabi.”

While Gaethje versus Poirier II is for the BMF belt — a symbolic championship created by UFC president Dana White for a fight between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz in 2019 — both fighters have their eye on the real prize: a shot at the winner of the October lightweight title fight between champion Islam Makhachev and challenger Charles Oliveira at UFC 294.

Justin Gaethje loves the idea of Jorge Masvidal wrapping the "BMF" belt around his waist.

"I know he'll hate it, so I'll love it that much more."

Full video: https://t.co/Bo3ey5TinY pic.twitter.com/BY8bP7JzX2
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) July 26, 2023

Makhachev has never faced Gaethje or Poirier, while both lost to Oliveira in back-to-back fights in December 2021 and May 2022.

“I think this fight gives you that (main event) feel without anything on the line,” Gaethje said. “For the legacy, it’s huge. First it’s championship belts, second is legacy. Third might be money, but those first two things are very important. We’re all trying to create a legacy that will live well past our time. That’s been my goal since Day 1.”

More must-reads: