UFC star Dustin Poirier plays up trilogy fight with Justin Gaethje: ‘I don’t like to leave things unsettled’

Amid continued links to a retirement from mixed martial arts, former interim lightweight champion, Dustin Poirier has welcomed the chance to take on fellow former interim gold holder, Justin Gaethje in a trilogy rubber match – claiming the pairing is still “unsettled” between the duo.

Poirier, the current number four ranked divisional contender, most recently headlined UFC 302 last month in New Jersey, taking on pound-for-pound number one, Islam Makhachev – suffering a stunning fifth round D’Arce choke submission loss in his failed bid to snatch the undisputed lightweight crown.

As for Gaethje, the former interim lightweight champion and symbolic BMF titleholder, featured at UFC 300 earlier this year against common-foe, Max Holloway, dropping the latter of those crowns with a devastating fifth round, buzzer-beating KO loss to the Hawaiian.

Dustin Poirier weighs up trilogy fight with Justin Gaethje

And remaining non-committal on his fighting future off the back of his loss to Makhachev, Poirier was asked about the chances of him sharing the Octagon with Arizona veteran, Gaethje in the future, Poirier admitted that while he’s still yet to decide on his future – he would hate to leave the bout “unsettled”.

“You know, I don’t like to leave things unsettled,” Dustin Poirier told ESPN MMA. “We are 1-1, with one KO apiece. So, the rubber match? I don’t know, we gotta see.”

Returning to training six weeks after his stunning knockout loss to common-opponent, Holloway, the above-mentioned, Gaethje first fought Poirier on home soil back in 2018, suffering a fourth round TKO defeat.

However, in July of last year, Poirier met Gaethje in a rematch for the symbolic BMF title, dropping an hellacious second round high-kick KO in the pair’s second bout under the banner of the promotion. 

Would you like to see Dustin Poirier return in a rubber match with Justin Gaethje?