Dustin Poirier will face Josh Grispi at UFC 125

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: JonnyRico
Date: November 24, 2010 at 05:03 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/dustin-poirier-will-face-josh-grispi-at-ufc-125.32681/

Featherweight Dustin Poirier has agreed to fill in for injured UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo and will face Josh Grispi at UFC 125 on Jan. 1.
Sources close to the fight informed Heavy.com of the change this afternoon.
Poirier last faced Zach Micklewright at “WEC 53: Faber vs. Mizugaki.” The Louisiana native swarmed Micklewright from the opening bell, beating him via TKO in just 53 seconds.
Grispi was scheduled to challenge Aldo for the featherweight championship in the co-main event of the evening, but Aldo was forced to pull out of the fight on Tuesday due to compressed vertebrae in his neck.
Follow @HeavyMMA on Twitter for more UFC 125 news
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[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: CopperHeart
Date: November 25, 2010 at 10:20 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/dustin-poirier-will-face-josh-grispi-at-ufc-125.32681/

What's the sense of pairing up a guy who was about to fight for the belt against someone who's 1-1 in the promotion?

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: sincitydc
Date: November 25, 2010 at 11:03 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/dustin-poirier-will-face-josh-grispi-at-ufc-125.32681/

CopperHeart said:
What's the sense of pairing up a guy who was about to fight for the belt against someone who's 1-1 in the promotion?
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preserve grispi's record until they can set the match up again?

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: CopperHeart
Date: November 25, 2010 at 11:04 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/dustin-poirier-will-face-josh-grispi-at-ufc-125.32681/

sincitydc said:
CopperHeart said:
What's the sense of pairing up a guy who was about to fight for the belt against someone who's 1-1 in the promotion?
Click to expand...
preserve grispi's record until they can set the match up again?
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Assuming he wins.

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: sincitydc
Date: November 25, 2010 at 11:14 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/dustin-poirier-will-face-josh-grispi-at-ufc-125.32681/

CopperHeart said:
sincitydc said:
CopperHeart said:
What's the sense of pairing up a guy who was about to fight for the belt against someone who's 1-1 in the promotion?
Click to expand...
preserve grispi's record until they can set the match up again?
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Assuming he wins.
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true. i guess i'm just crossing my fingers he wins because i really want to see aldo fight grispi at some point.

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: Jak
Date: November 25, 2010 at 11:29 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/dustin-poirier-will-face-josh-grispi-at-ufc-125.32681/

CopperHeart said:
What's the sense of pairing up a guy who was about to fight for the belt against someone who's 1-1 in the promotion?
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Grispi shows he's a fighter through and through. He had a title fight on a UFC card, and would've fight on main event fight but signed to fight whoever when that chance fell apart.
Whether it was trying to make his new company happy or whether he just didn't want to pull a Rashad and sit out for an undetermined period waiting and waiting for an opponent, you gotta have respect for him as a fighter.
If he loses, well, a loss is a loss regardless of if it's to the champ or a guy who's not the champ.
(however... this card really isn't swaying me to want to but it... yet)

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: mattzaunmayr
Date: November 25, 2010 at 11:55 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/dustin-poirier-will-face-josh-grispi-at-ufc-125.32681/

unfortunate for the UFC/WEC merger
Jose Aldo is a huge factor in showing people that the 145 and 135ers can put on awesome fights. Him being on the first officially merged card was huge for the success of the merger

 

[Nastycrow]

Originally posted by: vfrex
Date: November 26, 2010 at 04:30 AM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/dustin-poirier-will-face-josh-grispi-at-ufc-125.32681/

Jak said:
CopperHeart said:
What's the sense of pairing up a guy who was about to fight for the belt against someone who's 1-1 in the promotion?
Click to expand...
Grispi shows he's a fighter through and through. He had a title fight on a UFC card, and would've fight on main event fight but signed to fight whoever when that chance fell apart.
Whether it was trying to make his new company happy or whether he just didn't want to pull a Rashad and sit out for an undetermined period waiting and waiting for an opponent, you gotta have respect for him as a fighter.
If he loses, well, a loss is a loss regardless of if it's to the champ or a guy who's not the champ.
(however... this card really isn't swaying me to want to but it... yet)
Click to expand...
I mostly agree with you, but Rashad and Grispi are at two different points in their careers. Comparatively, Grispi has everything to gain while Rashad has more to lose.
Grispi gets to fight a guy he will most likely beat subbing in for a guy he probably wouldn't beat, on a UFC card. The fight (which will be a win) puts him 1 step closer to a UFC contract (more $), and given the likely mismatch, gives him a decent opportunity to finish and earn a bonus. He's topping out at around 20-30k of disclosed pay at WEC events, and being a relatively unknown fighter, I doubt that sponsorship money is rolling in. With the mismatch, he gets a decent chance to earn a $50k finish of the night bonus on top, and he could easily make more in one night than he's made in his entire time in the WEC. Further, he gains critical exposure to new fans AND sponsors.
We'll have to check back in a few years when Grispi is more established.