Lightweight contender Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier (22-5, 10 KOs, 7 SUBs) will meet action fighter Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje (18-1, 15 KOs, 1 SUB) at UFC on FOX 29 on Saturday, April 14, 2018 at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona. The main card airs live on FOX starting 8 p.m. ET. Bet on the latest UFC odds and get previews, predictions and betting picks at BookMaker.eu now.
Just one fight after brawling with Eddie Alvarez for the title of the UFC’s “Most Violent Man”, lightweight Justin Gaethje will throw down with Dustin Poirier - another dude that’s not afraid to get bloody. The matchup headlines UFC on FOX 29 on April 14 in Glendale, Arizona.
Let’s take a minute to run over the accolades these guys have piled up over the years. In the UFC, Poirier has a Submission of the Night, four Fight of the Night awards and was given Performance of the Night twice. ESPN honored him with Fight of the Year in 2012 for his thriller with The Korean Zombie.
Gaethje has only fought twice in the UFC, and both times was awarded Fight of the Night. Sherdog, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports and Bloody Elbow gave him Fight of the Year for his 2017 slugfest with Michael Johnson.
Throw these two in the ring and the potential for an epic bout is through the roof. One could argue that Poirier is even more exciting than Alvarez, as Eddie has had a few snoozers in the UFC so far. And Gaethje doesn’t do anything else except walk forward and bang.
The UFC odds at BookMaker.eu opened with Poirier as a slight favorite, though the lines are pretty close.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Dustin Poirier -140
Justin Gaethje +110
Allow Us to Reintroduce These Guys
Poirier has fought under the UFC banner 19 times, which is crazy considering that he’s just 29. His 15-4 record (1 NC) includes stints at both featherweight and lightweight, and he’s been a top-10 fighter in both weight classes. Let’s not forget that 155 has long been considered the UFC’s most loaded division, and featherweight is far behind.
It’s inarguable that Poirier is an elite fighter. While he’s never earned a title shot, he’s gotten damn close a few times. And look at some of the guys he’s fought: Max holloway, Cub Swanson, The Korean Zombie, Eddie Alvarez and even Conor McGregor. Poirier has been in the big fights, knows how to handle pressure and has come through under bright lights.
As for Gaethje, he’s still trying to establish a foothold in the UFC. While punching out Michael Johnson was a nice debut, Eddie Alvarez was able to hand Gaethje his first career loss. More than that, Alvarez showed that Gaethje’s iron chin wasn’t unbreakable, and that his take-two-punches-to-give-three is a completely unsustainable way to win fights. Maybe that could fly in the WSOF, but there’s just no way he could survive against the top UFC guys.
But can Gaethje fight more intelligently, or will he always be the zombie brawler? That’s the question here. While nobody would complain if every Gaethje fight was an all-out war, it’d be a shame not to see him reach his full potential. A steel chin, relentless will and punishing kickboxing can get you pretty far, even at 155 pounds.
Early UFC Betting TIps
Poirier’s body of work speaks for itself, and we see his line getting more expensive as we get closer to fight night. So if you were betting on The Diamond, it’s best to act quickly. Conversely, if you’re absolutely convinced that Gaethje pulls through, we’d suggest waiting until his money line goes up.
As of now, we’re leaning towards Poirier in this bout. He’s not as easily drawn into brawls as he was when he was younger, and he’s got the discipline and the skills to pick apart Gaethje if he goes into zombie mode.
UFC Odds Pick: Poirier to win at -140
Bet on UFC odds at BookMaker.eu
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker sportsbook! Real-time spreads, totals, props and money line are all available so start betting with BookMaker today. UFC on FOX 29 takes place on Saturday, April 14, 2018 at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona. The main card airs live on FOX starting 8 p.m.
