Dustin Poirier hits back at Justin Gaethje’s claim of being the most exciting fighter ever: “F*ck the shortlist, I am the guy!”

Former UFC interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier believes he’s the most exciting fighter of all time.

‘The Diamond’ has been out of the cage since his clash with Michael Chandler last November. In that lightweight showcase bout on UFC 281, Poirier survived an early swarm from the former Bellator champion. However, in the third round, he locked up a rear-naked choke for the submission win.

Months on from that contest, the lightweight contender appears to be gearing up for a return. Last month after a win over Rafael Fiziev, Justin Gaethje called for a rematch with Poirier. The two previously fought in April 2018, with ‘The Highlight’ coming up short by a fourth-round TKO.

Dustin Poirier later showed interest in the rematch, but he did take exception to one of Justin Gaethje’s comments. During fight week last month, the latter opined that he was the most exciting fighter of all time. Given his accolades and resume, few would argue with Gaethje.

However, Poirier is one of the few who can. During a recent interview with MMA on Sirus XM, the lightweight contender hit back at Gaethje’s comments. Poirier stated that he’s been putting on incredible fights before his rival was even competing.

Image via @dustinpoirier on Instagram (photographer not listed)

“F*ck all that, man. F*ck the shortlist, I am the guy!” Dustin Poirier stated in an interview with MMA on SiriusXM. “Before Justin Gaethje was fighting in MMA I was putting on Fight of the Years. Yeah, dude, I was headlining events in 2012 putting on Fight of the Years, I don’t even know if Gaethje was fighting then. You know what I mean? I’ve been doing this.”

He continued, “Look, every time he fights I’m going to tune in, but I stopped the guy in a Fight of the Year. What’re you talking about? Don’t shoot the messenger, man.”

What do you make of these comments? Do you agree with Dustin Poirier? Sound off in the comment section below PENN Nation!