“He Was Always a Little Step…”- Defying His Coach’s Instructions, Dustin Poirier Reflects on a Major Mistake During Justin Gaethje Loss at UFC 291

Justin Gaethje has now taken over the BMF title and Dustin Poirier has missed yet another chance to have his hands on the gold. The fight made it evident why capitalizing on an opportunity is indeed a paramount across the MMA globe. It held the promise of victory turned into a heartbreaking defeat, leaving Poirier to pick up the pieces and start anew. But the best part about the lightweight star was that he left the octagon on an optimistic note, as expressed in the post fight interview.

Well, Poirier has made yet another statement considering his previous battle. He laid it straight with sheer honesty as he discussed the potential reason for his loss. However, it was another YouTube interview that featured all his notions.

Dustin Poirier remembered his coach’s advice

While talking to a renowned MMA channel, MMA Fighting, ‘The Diamond’ had quite an elongated conversation. Being upfront, he shed light on the potential reason for his setback. He said that he failed to follow the advice of his boxing coach and, as a result, lost the bout. While elaborating on his feelings, he said, “My boxing coach told me last week that he believed that Justin was going to fight me on the back foot. And in my head I didn’t think that. I thought we were going to crash, and that is not what happened, you know. He fought me on the back foot and kept me not chasing but just tracking him down in there, you know.” 

Well, it seems like Poirier should have paid attention to his coach’s words. He seemed disappointed while telling the entire anecdote. However, this was not enough as he further had gripping notions regarding Gaethje’s strategy.

How did Gaethje have an upper hand against Poirier?

Poirier described Gaethje’s fighting strategy while highlighting the areas in which he had the advantage. He said, “He was always a little step in moving laterally where I was chasing him. I felt he wanted to counter punch, and he didn’t want to get into the firefight. I am sure he would have If I would have you know tried to chase him down and initiated, but I was trying to be careful. Even when I had him hurt, I could see it in his eyes. He wasn’t there yet he was ready to go.”

It seems like Poirier has realized what actually went wrong during the bout. He claimed that he appeared to attack Gaethje constantly during the game, but that his onslaught was unsuccessful because Gaethje was prepared for the following move. Poirier added that it was sheerly a trap which Gaethje had set against him and eventually he got stuck.

Read More – Not Waiting for “Apology”, Dustin Poirier Rebukes Lightweight Rival for Being Dishonest

Gaethje is prepared for his title opportunity now that he has cemented his position as the next in line. He will square off against the victor of the Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira battle scheduled for UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi in October. Poirier must pause and consider his alternatives in the meantime. What do you think? What will be the future for Poirier? Let us know in the comments.

Watch this story: Jorge Masvidal Wins the Race Against Mike Tyson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Triple H to Become Dwayne Johnson’s Successor at UFC 291 for the BMF Title