Dustin Poirier vs Justin Gaethje — Fight recap

Justin Gaethje stopped Dustin Poirier via knockout in the second round at 1:00 on July 29, 2023, with referee Herb Dean calling the fight. Gaethje's superior striking efficiency proved decisive, landing 41 of 66 significant strikes (62%) compared to Poirier's 27 of 52 (51%), while also securing one knockdown that Poirier could not recover from.

The fight remained a pure striking affair with neither fighter attempting takedowns, allowing Gaethje to impose his heavy hands and leg kick game—he connected on all 11 leg attempts while Poirier managed only 2. Gaethje's head strike volume of 23 of 48 outpaced Poirier's 21 of 46, reflecting his ability to find the target consistently throughout their brief exchanges.

The knockout result marked a significant statement in the lightweight division and raised questions about Poirier's trajectory following back-to-back losses.