Justin Gaethje Has Chance to Add Two Giant Accolades at UFC 291

“It’s an honor to get this opportunity."

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One of the most decorated fighters in the UFC, Justin Gaethje is attempting to add two giant accolades to his legacy this Saturday at UFC 291.

Gaethje has never won the undisputed lightweight title, nor has he ever defeated Dustin Poirier. If he is victorious in his main event against Poirier, he will have avenged one of the few losses on his record, as well as reasserted himself as the number-one contender for the title currently held by Islam Makhachev.

“I want to be the best in the world, and the championship belt does that for you,” says Gaethje. “That’s the name of the game. That’s the goal. This win gets me a title shot.”

Five years ago, Gaethje (24-4) was overwhelmed in a fight against Poirier. It was only his third UFC bout, and a more polished Poirier finished him in the fourth round.

“I’m completely different from the person I was then, and the way I approach this game is completely different,” says Gaethje. “I was brand new in the UFC back then, and he’d had quite a few fights. It’s a whole different ball game now.”

Asked whether the stoppage in their fight five years ago came too soon, Gaethje acknowledged that Poirier had him beat.

“It was a good stoppage,” says Gaethje. “I was definitely rocked. He landed some good shots. I was defending myself–I wouldn’t say I was intelligently defending myself, though. I’m very competitive, so this is my chance to get him back.”

Both Gaethje and Poirier, who are both 34, are former interim lightweight champs. This is a critical moment for Poirier (29-7, 1 NC), who is seeking to win his second in a row after losing in a title bout against Charles Oliveira. Gaethje also enters with momentum, having defeated Rafael Fiziev in March.

“I know I need to be perfect against Dustin,” says Gaethje. “I can’t make mistakes. I fought great in my last fight against Rafael, I fought like an idiot against Charles, fought fantastic against Michael Chandler. I just need to focus and take away a lot of what Dustin does so well.”

The bout takes place in Salt Lake City, Utah, which adds an extra degree of difficulty. The altitude has led to stamina problems among fighters, most recently causing fits for Leon Edwards last summer.

“It’s definitely a factor,” says Gaethje, who arrived in Utah this past Wednesday. “There is just less oxygen in the air. I live in Denver, Colorado, I train in Denver, Colorado, and we’re lower. Fighting here is tiring and it can suck and we’re both going to be exhausted, but I can find some confidence knowing that I train in the atmosphere.”

In addition to holding significant stakes in the lightweight title picture, the bout is also for the ceremonial BMF title. Inaugural title holder Jorge Masvidal will be present to award the winner with the belt, a role that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson played for Masvidal at Madison Square Garden in November of 2019.

“I think it’s iconic,” says Gaethje. “It’s an honor to get this opportunity, and we’re headlining a massive card on pay-per-view. Six of my first seven fights in the UFC were main events, but two out of my last three weren’t. It’s nice to be back in the spotlight.”

This is an incredibly difficult fight to predict a winner. Gaethje was less disciplined in his boxing when they fought five years ago, and while he will still push the fight forward, he attacks with far more strategy. Poirier is also incredibly skilled, especially the way he pivots and pounces. Both are talented grapplers, and all signs point to this being a very competitive affair.

One certainty is that Gaethje will pour his heart and soul into the fight, making it extremely exciting to watch.

“People recognize effort, and I give max effort every time I’m in there,” says Gaethje. “That’s who I am, that’s who I’ve been since I was a kid. I embrace the chaos, I love it, and that’s what you’re going to see on Saturday.”

Making the list of heavyweight contenders even more crowded, Tom Aspinall is victorious in return

Tom Aspinall made a statement on Saturday.

A year after tearing his MCL and parts of his meniscus, as well as damaging his ACL, Aspinall finished Marcin Tybura in 73 seconds during the main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night. The fight took place at the O2 Arena in London, the same site of his harrowing injury, but this time it offered a far different result.

Aspinall (13-3) has now won nine of his last ten. Tybura (24-8) is not necessarily the highest caliber of opponent, but he entered having won seven of eight. The victory stands as an important one for Aspinall, who needed to show he was healthy enough to compete against the best heavyweights in the world.

Suddenly, there are a lot of contenders at heavyweight. Next for Aspinall could be a rematch against Curtis Blaydes, who he lost to last summer after suffering that debilitating injury to his knee. Two more wins should put him in the thick of contention, which is a much more crowded field that also includes Sergei Pavlovich, Serghei Spivac, and Jailton Almeida.

Molly McCann dispatched quickly in fight against Julija Stoliarenko

Time has expired for Molly McCann in her pursuit of becoming a contender in the women’s flyweight division.

McCann hardly put up a fight against Julija Stoliarenko at this past Saturday’s UFC Fight Night. In her flyweight debut, Stoliarenko (11-7-2) needed less than two minutes to lock in an armbar to win by submission. The loss further exposed McCann (13-6), who has limited takedown defense.

McCann was defeated in decisive fashion last November by rising star Erin Blanchfield. After running through a string of fighters and winning six of her first nine fights in the UFC, McCann has struggled mightily against tougher opponents.

Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.