UFC 291 Press Conference: Respect Now, Violence Later

The UFC 291 press conference told us that Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje have a lot of respect for one another and they both are fully aware of what they're getting themselves into this weekend. We all could imagine why, seeing that they've both been at the top and have put on a great fight before.

A lot of the Poirier vs Gaethje press conference was surrounded by the two men on the marquee and what they think this weekend will do for them. This fight is not just to climb the ranks in hopes for another title shot, but it's actually for a title of sorts. The BMF belt is making its return, the post-event UFC 291 news will let us know who is now the UFC's BMF.

Here, we'll tell you what happened at this UFC press conference and include some links to the fun stuff you'll want to see.

Poirier vs Gaethje Press Conference: “This is a Legacy Fight”

Jul 10, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Dustin Poirier before fighting Conor McGregor during UFC 264 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA
By Icon Sport

When asked about the BMF title being added to embellish this UFC 291 main event, Justin discussed whether or not it added any more excitement to this fight:

“I've seen [the BMG title] on TV, it's beautiful. It's going to look great on the wall. This does a lot for our legacy; we all dream of creating a legacy that will live on forever, this is part of that.”

Dustin also gave us his thoughts as to what the BMF title does for him and adds to this fight:

“That's what is is, this is a legacy fight. We have one of these [BMF belts] sitting in my gym and this one's going right next to it.”

Dustin then discussed his charity goals at the UFC 291 press conference which got the crows pretty excited.

To get back to the belt on the line in this closely-contested match, both of the main event fighters were asked about if the BMF title would mean more to them than when they held interim titles.

“No, I don't think so. It's a great part of history, it's great for my legacy, it's cool to even have your name in the hat to be considered to fight for something like this… but, the undisputed title is the ultimate prize.”

Gaethje agreed that the BMF belt is pretty cool(nobody is arguing that it isn't, it's very rad), but a world championship is the goal here.

UFC 291 Press Conference: Does Poirier Have an Edge Over Gaethje?

Having already beaten Justin Gaethje, Poirier had to answer to whether or not he's leaning on that previous win to boost his confidence going into this high-stakes rematch.

“I'm not like I'm using [that win] as momentum, I'm using my career as momentum. My last fights, the growth, my confidence, my mindset — all of that, that's what's driving me forward… If we didn't get better in five years, we wasted five years.”

The BMF title is tangible, but the chance to get another shot at the undisputed lightweight championship is what has Poirier and Gaethje ready to go to war once more. Though everything was calm in the verbal meeting, this fight is promised to be a banger that you don't want to miss.

Both Justin and Dustin are at the top of their game and are bonus-collecting machines. Moreover, the entire card is absolutely incredible. Stacked with great talent from top to bottom, this is a card that nobody wants to miss. Tune in this weekend!