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STACKED! Tonight’s UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 event is exactly the sort of fight card you would expect from the world’s premiere mma league. On Saturday (July 29th) the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah will play host to a sweltering night of fights, capped off with a rematch for the ages between the two most violent KO artists in the business, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje.
The dubious BMF belt will be up for grabs in the main event, but that will surely be an afterthought if the second instalment is anything like the first… and it will be. Their first first happened at UFC on FOX 29 in 2018, and that classic had everything on the feet that you could hope for. Body shots, hefty leg kicks, heavy leather boxing combos, and even a rolling thunder connected at one point. Tremendous heart and determination was showcased from both men, and the cherry on top was a definitive ending with Poirier pulling out a fourth round TKO. It was effing great, and the sequel should be, too!
Before that, the co-main of the evening will be the setting where former UFC middleweight champion, Alex Pereira, moves up to light heavyweight to challenge a former 205-pound champ, Jan Błachowicz. This has the potential to produce some major fireworks, but could also just as easily remain a slow burn. It really all depends on who can dictate where this fight takes place.
Sure, Jan put up a stinker in his last outing with Magomed Ankalaev, but that’s far from the norm. Seven of his last ten matches ended inside the distance, so typically his bouts are thoroughly entertaining. Alex is kill or be killed, so we know exactly what the former GLORY kickboxing champ is coming to do. However, let’s not forget what happened when Israel Adesanya tried to move up a weight class to test the ‘Polish Power.’ He got out-wrestled, and the same could very well happen to Pereira. Let’s just hope they stand and bang, though!
Also on the UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 docket, there will be a Tony Ferguson sighting. Like it or not that he’s still competing, Ferguson will be facing fellow veteran Bobby Green. Earlier in the night, we’re getting a nifty clash of styles when Michael Chiesa tussles with Kevin Holland. This one’s cool because it will likely end in either a submission for Chiesa, or a knockout for Holland. As for the main card opener, this doozie promises to dazzle us as spinning striker Stephen Thompson scraps with the somersaulting Michel Pereira.
Start time and date
UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 takes place on July 29th at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. The main event starts at 10 p.m. ET. The prelims begin at 8 p.m. ET and the early prelims go live at 6:30 p.m. ET.
PPV price and how to watch
UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 is available on ESPN+ PPV for $79.99 for current subscribers. New subscribers can pay $124.98 for the UFC 291 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription. The event is scheduled to start live at 6:30pm ET, 3:30pm PT, with the early prelims on the ESPN+ streaming platform in the US, as well as Fight Pass. The PPV main card is to kick off at 10:00pm ET, 7:00pm PT. For full streaming details, and compatible devices go here.
UFC 291 Live Stream Video
Full UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 fight card
Main card
- Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje: BMF Title
- Jan Błachowicz vs. Alex Pereira: Light Heavyweight
- Tony Ferguson vs. Bobby Green: Lightweight
- Michael Chiesa vs. Kevin Holland: Welterweight
Stephen Thompson vs. Michel Pereira: Welterweight
Prelims
- Derrick Lewis vs. Marcos Rogério de Lima: Heavyweight
- Trevin Giles vs. Gabriel Bonfim: Welterweight
- Roman Kopylov vs. Claudio Ribeiro: Middleweight
- Jake Matthews vs. Darrius Flowers: Welterweight
Early prelims
- CJ Vergara vs. Vinicius Salvador: Flyweight
- Matthew Semelsberger vs. Uros Medic: Welterweight
- Miranda Maverick vs. Priscila Cachoeira: (W) Flyweight
Stephen Thompson vs. Michel Pereira was cancelled after Pereira failed to make weight.
What comes after UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2
The next event after UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 is UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Font, and this event will happen on August 5th from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Headlining the card will be the UFC’s #4 ranked bantamweight, Cory Sandhagen, taking on the promotion’s #7 ranked 135-pounder, Rob Font. The co-main here will occur in the strawweight division when former champion, Jéssica Andrade, tangles with the undefeated Tatiana Suarez.
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