Dana White has revealed the UFC 291 main card, which will be headlined by Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje II for the controversial BMF title.
In April 2018, Poirier and Gaethje fought in the UFC on FOX 29 main event. ‘The Diamond’ walked away with a fourth-round TKO, but both fighters earned respect in one of the best fights of the year.
#OnThisDay in 2018: Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje went to battle and it was as good as we all expected! 🔥
📺 Watch in full on @UFCFightPass now! pic.twitter.com/YqWCpu7LCh
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) April 14, 2023
Five years later, the UFC superstars will meet again when the promotion travels to Salt Lake City, Utah, for UFC 291 on July 29. There will be added stacks as Poirier and Gaethje will fight for the BMF title, which hasn’t been utilized since Jorge Masvidal defeated Nate Diaz in November 2019.
The primary reason for winning the UFC 291 main event is a lightweight title shot. Poirier is the number two-ranked 155-pounder behind only Charles Oliviera, with Gaethje at three.
Oliveira’s upcoming fight against Beneil Dariush on June 10 is expected to determine Islam Makhachev’s next title challenger. Therefore, ‘The Diamond’ or ‘The Highlight’ could find themselves fighting the winner of Makhachev vs. Oliveira/Dariush.
Poirier last fought in November 2022, defeating Michael Chandler with a third-round submission after a back-and-forth war. Meanwhile, Gaethje is coming off a close majority decision win against Rafael Fiziev in one of the best fights of 2023. Considering the fighter’s past and the high stakes, it’s nearly impossible for the UFC 291 main event to be disappointing.
Poirier vs Gaethje 2 is OFFICIAL!#UFC291 in Salt Lake City is going to be RIDICULOUS 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/OYWxzUcJk5
— UFC (@ufc) May 16, 2023
Who else is fighting at UFC 291?
Dana White’s massive announcement revealed more than just the main event for UFC 291. In the co-main event, Alex Pereira will make his light heavyweight debut after losing the middleweight title against Israel Adesanya last time out. ‘Poatan’ has been matched up against the always dangerous Jan Blachowicz, who last fought Magomed Ankalaev in a disappointing split decision draw for the vacant 205-pound throne.
The UFC 291 main card will also feature a middleweight matchup between Paulo Costa vs. Ikram Aliskerov, Tony Ferguson vs. Bobby Green, and Michael Chiesa vs. Kevin Holland.
The preliminary card bouts announced are Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson vs. Michel Pereira, Derrick Lewis vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima, and CJ Vergara vs. Vinicius Salvador. The event goes down inside the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, on July 29.
Salt Lake City we're back and we're bringing a BANGER July 29th! 🔥
Register for #UFC291 tickets: https://t.co/YzVPhXL5u7 pic.twitter.com/LO2etpscSs
— UFC (@ufc) May 17, 2023
