Dan Hardy Highlights Justin Gaethje's 'Kryptonite' That Dustin Poirier Can Exploit At UFC 291

There may not be legitimate championship stakes at play in the UFC 291 main event this coming weekend, but that hasn't dampened the excitement and anticipation for it.

Topping the lineup for the promotion's return to Salt Lake City, Utah, on Saturday, July 29, will be former interim UFC lightweight champions Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje.

Having both fallen short of undisputed status against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira, the pair of entertaining fan favorites are pursuing a third chance at reaching the divisional throne.

The victor and second-ever BMF champion will be a sizable step closer to that opportunity following UFC 291, with a possible date opposite either Islam Makhachev or Oliveira waiting in the wings.

For Poirier, a win this weekend would mark a repeat of the feat he achieved back in 2018, when he stopped Gaethje in round four of their UFC Fight Night headliner in Glendale, Arizona.

And one former title challenger-turned-analyst is backing "The Diamond" to shine once more.

Hardy Predicts Possible Submission Success For Poirier

During a recent episode of The War Room on his YouTube channel, ex-UFC fighter and current PFL executive Dan Hardy broke down this weekend's blockbuster headliner.

After sharing a similar sentiment to many regarding Poirier's edge when it comes to technique, "The Outlaw" highlighted Gaethje's striking kryptonite. And having seen the Louisianan expose it five years ago, Hardy can picture déjà vu come fight night in Utah.

"Poirier is the technically better fighter. I feel like there's more opportunities for Poirier to finish this fight in different ranges of the game than Gaethje," Hardy said. "What Poirier did really well in the last fight that Gaethje never really was able to adjust to is that safe pocket that he kept finding for his head, where he was dipping his head down and going onto shots coming up the center line. Uppercuts and knees (are) the kryptonite for Gaethje.

"I don't know (that) as he's made the adjustments that he's going to make that more difficult for Poirier to land," Hardy continued. "That would require Gaethje pumping the breaks a little bit and pulling back on his style... But against Poirier, because he's very good at a high-pace, high-pressure fight... they're the kind of fights that ignite the fighter in Justin Gaethje and want to make him throw, wanna make him brawl."

Having predicted striking success for Poirier, the British former UFC welterweight title challenger outlined how that could set up the chance to exploit another of Gaethje's weaknesses — submission defense.

"I also think we're going to see an adaptation from Gaethje, where he's gonna be to be inclined to maybe level change a bit more, or clinch a bit more, maybe even wrestle," Hardy stated. "I think it might lead to a different outcome — not in Gaethje's favor though... Once he's (Poirier's) got someone hurt with a volume of strikes, they then level change and go into his neck attacks.

"I still think, of course, he's (Gaethje's) gonna choose to strike, but I do think in the situation where he does get hurt, we might actually see him wrestle and he may get caught in one of the neck attacks that Poirier has in his game," Hardy continued. "The kryptonite for Gaethje seems to be putting himself in harm's way and taking too much punishment or getting tangled up in a submission. I think this fight could be a combination of both of those things in Poirier's favor."

Poirier will no doubt look to prove Hardy's analysis correct when he makes the walk this Saturday inside the Delta Center, be it via destruction in the standup realm or a choke on the ground.