Dustin Poirier is having a hard time after his loss against Justin Gaethje. Poirier tried hard to own the BMF belt, but Gaethje made sure that he outdid ‘The Diamond’ at UFC 291. Within one minute into the second round, Gaethje threw a head kick on Poirier to earn a glorious knockout victory against him. This loss against Gaethje was heartbreaking for Poirier for a number of reasons. According to him, the loss against ‘The Highlight’ was more depressing than his loss against Khabib Nurmagomedov.
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‘The Diamond’ once proved that he could defeat Gaethje, as he won their first bout back in 2018. Back then, within thirty-three seconds into the fourth round, Poirier defeated Gaethje via punches. Now things are even between them, however, it’s hard for Poirier to adjust to the fact that he lost against Gaethje. During a recent interview, the Louisiana native explained why his loss against ‘The Highlight’ was too much for him to handle.
Dustin Poirier reveals why UFC 291 loss hurts more
After losing at UFC 291, Poirier sat down with MMA Hour’s Ariel Helwani to discuss the loss. ‘The Diamond’ admitted that he was not too disappointed after losing against Khabib Nurmagomedov, as he knew that ‘The Eagle’ was a better fighter than him. On the other hand, he strongly believed that he was better than Justin Gaethje.
However, his belief was shattered on Saturday, and this was difficult for him to digest. ‘The Diamond’ said, “Khabib was better than me. I lost Saturday to somebody who I think I’m better than.”
He added, “I was away from home for nine weeks in training camp. I dieted 11 weeks, sacrificed so much, was really focused, man, was really, really focused, and felt great, the best I’ve ever felt. Honestly, the best I’ve ever felt.”
During the post-fight press conference, Poirier mentioned that he has lost before, and every time he loses, it’s hard for him to handle the feelings that follow. However, he has been highly optimistic about how things have turned out for him until then. He said, “We’re not at a funeral here. I’ve won. I’ve won life. Where I come from, I already won.” His positive attitude towards failures won many hearts, including that of ‘The People’s Champion’, Dwayne Johnson.
What do you think about Poirier compared to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje? Do you think Gaethje is a better fighter than Poirier? Let us know in the comments below.
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