Dustin Poirier sends his thanks to “warrior” Justin Gaethje

On Saturday night, in the main event of the UFC’s anticipated stop in Glendale, Arizona, long-time UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier and former World Series of Fighting lightweight champ Justin Gaethje stepped into the cage for one of the most anticipated matchups in recent memory. In the end, this matchup delivered in the way we all hoped, as Poirier and Gaethje bludgeoned each other into unrecognizable piles of black-and-blue flesh, until Poirier put an end to things with a volley of fourth-round punches.

Not long after this unforgettable war, which saw both men pocket $50,000 Fight of the Night checks, Poirier took to Twitter to thank his vanquished foe for the scrap. See Poirier’s short but sweet thank you message to Gaethje below.

. @Justin_Gaethje thanks for the battle! You are a warrior.

— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) April 16, 2018

“Thanks for the battle,” he said. “You are a warrior.”

Having defeat Gaethje, Poirier now has his sights set on a title shot opposite new UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

“I would never stand here and ask for something I didn’t earn,” Poirier said in the Octagon, shortly after putting Gaethje down. “Dana [White], Sean [Shelby], Khabib — let’s fucking go!”

Gaethje, meanwhile, seems content to continue engaging in unforgettable wars, so long as it all contributes to his reputation as one of the most exciting fighters ever.

“I didn’t get into this sport to win or lose. It’s an entertainment factor for me,” Gaethje told the media post-fight. “I will be known and remembered as one of the most entertaining fighters that ever did it. I’m content with what just happened, as stupid and crazy as that sounds.”

Unsurprisingly, Gaethje also feels tremendous respect for Poirier.

“I have nothing but respect for him,” he said. “He’s going to be hurting for a very long time.”

What do you think the future holds for Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 4/16/2018.