UFC could replace Dustin Poirier with Justin Gaethje for Conor McGregor fight: Reports

According to reports, former UFC lightweight interim champion Dustin Poirier could be replaced in his highly-anticipated fight against Conor McGregor. The Diamond has been lined up to face the Notorious One on January 23, 2021, but the fight is not a “done deal” as all parties are still discussing the terms of the mega-bout. Poirier earlier voiced his frustrations over the bout on Twitter, asking president Dana White to “stop playing games” and to send over the “right contract”.

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McGregor vs Gaethje: Justin Gaethje could replace Dustin Poirier?

According to ESPN's Ariel Helwani, Dustin Poirier is the “final hurdle” in the bout being finalised as “McGregor’s in and eager to resume his career”. The report claims that if The Diamond fails to agree to terms, the promotion could take Dustin Poirier out of the picture and replace him with a name like Justin Gaethje. However, it’s still unclear whether the notorious Irishman would agree to fight Gaethje, despite the two exchanging words on social media.  

“He (Dustin Poirier) is the reason the Tony Ferguson-Poirier fight didn't happen on Oct. 24, and he might be the reason the McGregor-Poirier fight doesn't happen on Jan. 23,” Ariel Helwani added.

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Conor McGregor confirmed his UFC return in October after he agreed to lock horns with Dustin Poirier in a rematch. The two last clashed at featherweight in 2014 when The Notorious One TKOed The Diamond in the first round. In a recent Q&A session, Conor McGregor vowed that if the fight happens, he’ll try to finish the second fight faster than their initial bout, which ended in less than two minutes.

Though Dustin Poirier lost to Conor McGregor, he has been a top fighter in the promotion since his move to the lightweight division. In his last six bouts, Dustin Poirier has lost only one, which came at the hands of the current reigning lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, at UFC 242. He also has a win over Justin Gaethje who was also bested by Nurmagomedov a few weeks ago at UFC 254.

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Conor McGregor, on the other hand, last faced Donald Cerrone in a welterweight bout. He won the fight in under 40 seconds via technical knockout, winning the Performance of the Night bonus. However, Conor McGregor recently confirmed that the Dustin Poirier bout will take place in the lightweight division, a weight class he hasn’t fought in for the past two years. In his last 155lb bout, McGregor was bested by Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 via submission in the fourth round.

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Image Source: UFC, Dustin Poirier Instagram, AP