UFC 291 ‘Poirier Vs Gaethje 2’ + Weekly MMA News
UFC London was an ok card to watch, stacked with technical wars and three-round fights. Yet, the main and co-main events were above expectations. Tom Aspinall floored Marcin Tybura with a great 1-2 and followed up with a barrage of ground-and-pound bombs, while Julija Stoliarenko shocked the world and submitted elbow expert Molly McCann in her first 125-pound outing.
UFC London Awards
Surprisingly, Andre Fili vs Nathaniel Wood was not the Fight of the Night, as the FOTN award was given to Danny Roberts and Johnny Parsons. Here’s an even more shocking fact – Parsons finished Roberts in the dying seconds of round 2.
WHAT. A. FIGHT. 🤯
Jonny Parsons gets the finish in round 2 🚨
[ #UFCLondon | Live on @ESPNPlus 📺 ] pic.twitter.com/ZU394FUPB5
— UFC (@ufc) July 22, 2023
The Performance of the Night bonus went into the hands of Tom Aspinall, who successfully returned after knee surgery with a stunning first-round KO. The second POTN went into the hands of Paul Craig, who finished Andre Muniz with an amazing barrage of punches in his first 185-pound bout.
EASY WORK for @AspinallMMA 👀
He gets the finish in the first round! #UFCLondon pic.twitter.com/TtKd6uUR3f
— UFC (@ufc) July 22, 2023
Allow me to reintroduce myself 😤@PaulCraig gets the finish in his debut to the middleweight division 👏
[ #UFCLondon | Live on @ESPNPlus 📺 ] pic.twitter.com/1lN4kfOP8S
— UFC (@ufc) July 22, 2023
UFC 291 Announcement
After a lovely trip across the Atlantic, the UFC returns to the United States of America. This time, the PPV is going to take place in Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Image source: @UFCBrasil Twitter
The main event of the evening brings a BMF title bout between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje. The first-ever “baddest mother*cker belt bout” took place between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz, and Masvidal won via TKO. On the other side, Poirier and Gaethje fought once in the past, when Poirier won with a fourth-round stoppage.
Dustin Poirier is known for very technical approach and big left hand. He is a master of long wars, with amazing angling and counters. He might not be the most powerful fighter in the division, but his gas tank is amazing, and he’ll get the advantage if the combat goes past round 3.
Justin Gaethje comes from wrestling, but he’s a top-notch striker and a leg kick specialist. Throughout his career, Gaethje chopped many opponents down. The majority of his fights were slugfests, he is a fan favorite for a reason. You can expect a great war. The only downside of Gaethje is the gas tank, and he might have a hard time if this bout goes into the championship rounds.
Prediction: the fight will not go the distance
The co-main event is fun too, as the legendary striker and former Glory champ Alex Pereira squares off against the former division king Jan Blachowicz in his first 205-pound UFC fight. Pereira is known for massive left hook and brutal long-range strikes, while Blachowicz’s calf kicks could create serious damage. The Pole has better wrestling and ground game, so Pereira will have to keep this battle standing by any means necessary.
Prediction: Jan to win
UFC 291 Full Fight Card
Please take a look at the upcoming pay-per-view card below, there are many stars!
Main Card (ESPN+ PPV, 10 PM ET, 3 AM UK time)
Lightweight BMF title fight: Dustin Poirier (29-7-0) vs. Justin Gaethje (24-4-0)
Light Heavyweight: Jan Błachowicz (29-9-1) vs. Alex Pereira (7-2-0)
Lightweight: Tony Ferguson (25-8-0) vs. Bobby Green (29-14-1)
Welterweight: Michael Chiesa (16-6-0) vs. Kevin Holland (24-9-0)
Welterweight: Stephen Thompson (17-6-1) vs. Michel Pereira (28-11-0)
Preliminary Card (ABC, ESPN, ESPN+, UFC On Fight Pass, 8 PM ET, 1 AM UK time)
Heavyweight: Derrick Lewis (26-11-0) vs. Marcos Rogério de Lima (21-8-1)
Welterweight: Trevin Giles (16-4-0) vs. Gabriel Bonfim (14-0-0)
Middleweight: Roman Kopylov (10-2-0) vs. Claudio Ribeiro (11-3-0)
Flyweight: CJ Vergara (11-4-1) vs. Vinicius Salvador (14-5-0)
Early Prelims (ESPN+, UFC On Fight Pass, 6:30 PM ET, 00:30 AM UK time)
Welterweight: Jake Matthews (18-6-0) vs. Darrius Flowers (12-5-1)
Flyweight: Miranda Maverick (11-5-0) vs. Priscila Cachoeira (12-4-0)
Welterweight: Matthew Semelsberger (11-5-0) vs. Uros Medic (8-1-0)
UFC 291 Predictions
Take a look at my predictions for the upcoming event in the playlist below.
This is one of the best cards of the year. You can expect many slugfests and amazing wars! Sit next to your TV at 6:30 PM ET and enjoy an amazing pay-per-view event! Let’s see who will be the second UFC BMF!
