"Everybody is so high on him" - Dustin Poirier explains not jumping on the Tom Aspinall hype train ahead of UFC 321 

With UFC 321 fast approaching, the betting lines and fan sentiment favor Tom Aspinall to make quick work of Ciryl Gane. Dustin Poirier, for one, is not buying into the hype around the hard-hitting heavyweight champion.

Speaking about the upcoming fight on The BOHNFIRE podcast, Poirier claimed that he had yet to see enough out of the Briton to back him as the next big thing in the sport of MMA:

"Honestly, man, I'm not sure. Tom Aspinall is good, but everybody is so high on him. What's his longest fight in the UFC? I haven't seen the guy ever in the third round. I've never seen the guy have to fight himself back into a fight. I've never seen him on the stool bleeding.. He's been blowing past these guys... He's a great fighter, explosive, skilled, but I've never seen him really tested."

Poirier added:

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"So, until I see him tested and fight himself back in a fight and win, I can't be on the same train as everybody else, like, you know, waving that flag because people are talking like he's the next biggest thing. And he might be, but I'm not sold yet."

Check out Dustin Poirier's comments on Tom Aspinall below (31:15):

Aspinall, who many thought would be the one to dethrone Jon Jones, was elevated to full-time champion after 'Bones' chose retirement over a unification bout against him.

Seeing as Jones earned a quick first-round submission over Gane at UFC 285, the betting lines for the upcoming pay-per-view have Aspinall as a prohibitive -355 favorite with the Frenchman as a +280 underdog.

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Dustin Poirier predicts Ciryl Gane's game plan for Tom Aspinall fight

Dustin Poirier is convinced that Ciryl Gane and his team will try to exploit Tom Aspinall's lack of experience in drawn-out fights at UFC 321. The heavyweight champion has never had to fight beyond two rounds in his UFC career, often securing a finish in the first round itself.

Gane, however, is well-versed in a five-round setting. Although Poirier feels 'Bon Gamin' should capitalize on any openings he finds in the early rounds, 'The Diamond' recognizes that it is more likely the No.1 contender and his team would try to take the fight into the later rounds:

"Of course, if there's opportunity, an opening, you try to win the fight as quickly as you can, but knowing that in the back of your head, this guy's never been into the third round in his UFC career, I think you, not play it safe, but fight smart. Let the fight unfold, and then get it there and see how he's, you know, see how he's answering the bell after that. Yeah, I do think in the back of his head, him and his whole team are going to be thinking that." [33:49 minutes into the interview."

Edited by Ujwal Jain