Justin Gaethje dismisses trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier after UFC 313 win: ‘I don’t think our families deserve that’
Off the back of tonight’s win at UFC 313, Justin Gaethje has put the brakes on a trilogy rubber match with two-fight rival, Dustin Poirier next, claiming he doesn’t want either of their families to witness them competing opposite each other anymore.
Gaethje, the current number three ranked lightweight contender, returned to winning-ways tonight with an impressive decision win over short-notice foe and former rival, Rafael Fiziev in an impromptu co-main event rematch.
Taking home a second career win over the Tiger Muay Thai star, Gaethje would ride out a second and third round win against the former, dropping the Kazakh striker with a well-placed uppercut in close midway through the round.
Justin Gaethje uninterested in trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier
And staking his claim for a title fight against the incumbent, Islam Makhachev next, Gaethje played down chances of taking on fellow former interim champion, Poirier in the future again, claiming their families don’t “deserve” to see them batter each other.
“I’ve stated many times that I don’t think either one of our families deserve that,” Justin Gaethje told assembled media following UFC 313. “We’re one and one. I’m okay with it. If he’s okay with it, then no. I don’t think we’re contenders if we beat other people. If I beat him, I don’t think either one of us would be considered a contender.”
First fighting back in 2018 in his native Arizona, Gaethje suffered an eventual fifth round knockout loss to Poirier on home soil in a back-and-forth clash.
However, back in 2023, Gaethje became the second-ever symbolic BMF champion with a thunderous second round high-kick knockout win over the Lafayette striker.
