Five years ago, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje headlined a Fight Night card and delivered a violent performance that wowed UFC fans. They look to outdo that bout at UFC 291 on July 29.
UFC 291 emanates from inside Delta Center in Utah, and airs on ESPN+ PPV.
Since the fight, both have gone 6-2, with losses only against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira. They have elevated their games in their own unique ways. Gaethje landed several hard kicks in their last fight, damaging Poirier until the latter landed shots that ended the fight.
All these years later, Poirier believes Gaethje will have to change things up to attempt to beat him.
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 291 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
“If he wants to technically kickbox with me and grapple with me, I think his best chances are to catch me being crazy and land a shot,” Poirier said via BJ Penn. “If he tries to take his time and be methodical, I’m going to show you levels for sure.”
Both are fighting for the BMF Title, a symbolic belt representing a fighter’s toughness. If they had their way, Poirier and Gaethje would want to fight for the UFC lightweight title. However, winning the BMF belt could propel them straight to the top of contendership.
“This is awesome, but other than legacy, it doesn’t do anything near as much as a world championship belt,” Gaethje said via MMA Fighting. “I think this catapults either one of us, the winner of this fight, into that [title] fight, and that’s all that means right there.”
The Sporting News will provide results and highlights from UFC 291. Stay tuned!
UFC 291 results, highlights
Derrick Lewis knocks out Marcos Rogerio de Lima in epic fashion
11:20 p.m. ET: Lewis took off his clothes after, classic Lewis.
11:15 p.m. ET: Derrick Lewis vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima in heavyweight action is next. It only took a few seconds for Lewis to beat Lima, as he dropped him right away, and landed shots to the floor. It was all over before it began.
Tony Ferguson loses six in a row, passes out against Bobby Green
10:55 p.m. ET: On the floor, Green, landed hammerfists. Now on full guard, Green continued his attack. He controlled the ground game for several minutes. A busted open Ferguson got back up and tried to go tit for tat with Green. He encouraged Ferguson to go for the attack. Round three saw Green land combinations while Ferguson would just rush into the attacks. Right by Ferguson clipped Green. Towards the end of the round, Green landed the submission, forcing Ferguson to to pass out.
BOBBY GREEN SUBMITS TONY FERGUSON! @BobbyKGreen gets the finish with seconds left at #UFC291! pic.twitter.com/HuRLRFYIRH
— UFC (@ufc) July 30, 2023
10:45 p.m. ET: The fans went wild for Ferguson. Green tried to strike him down via kicks, but Ferguson wasn’t biting. Ferguson with a big right hand that put Green to the ground. Poke to the eye by Green halted the action. Through the first round, Ferguson was lunging. Round two saw Ferguson use his unique style to confuse Green. Forcing the fight to the ground, Ferguson tried to trap Green.
10:35 p.m. ET: It’s Tony Ferguson time, as he faces Bobby Green. Will fight fans be crying in the club or will we see a masterful performance from Ferguson, who needs it?
Kevin Holland makes quick work of Michael Chiesa
10:20 p.m. ET: The first fight of the night is Michael Chiesa vs. Kevin Holland. Joe Rogan compared Holland’s striking to Tommy Hearns. Holland pushed Chiesa into the corner and landed various strikes. While holding him, big knee by Holland connected and then he locked into the D’Arce Choke for the win.
KEVIN HOLLAND GETS THE D’ARCE IN ROUND 1 😤#UFC291 LIVE on ESPN+ PPV 🍿 pic.twitter.com/3lhxJy6ude
— ESPN (@espn) July 30, 2023
10 p.m. ET: The main card of UFC 291 is LIVE. The UFC opened the broadcast with another tribute to Sinead O’Connor.
9:45 p.m. ET: The final fight of the prelims: Gabriel Bonfim vs. Trevin Giles. Giles tripped early on but recovered quickly. Bonfim landed the guillotine submission after landing a body lock takedown.
SLICK SUBMISSION FROM BONFIM 😨#UFC291 is LIVE on ESPN+ PPV 🍿 pic.twitter.com/jIaAQnPaIH
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 30, 2023
9:30 p.m. ET: The fight pace slowed down a bit as contest went on. Vergara landed a leg kick that Salvador laughed off. A few right hands were also ignored, though they were efficient. After going the distance, Rivera won via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
9:10 p.m. ET: A catchweight bout featuring C.J. Vergara vs. Vinicius Salvador is up next. Vergara’s eye got damaged following a poke through his defense. He was timid towards the end of round one following the poke. Round two saw Vergara act as the aggressor. Dancing around the cage, both tried to find an edge, with Vergara finally pushing Salvador back and landing more strikes.
9 p.m. ET: The UFC honored music artist Sinead O’Connor, who recently passed away. She performed Conor McGregor’s entrance years ago to a great reaction.
8:45 p.m. ET: Up next: a middleweight fight featuring Roman Kopylov vs. Claudio Ribeiro. Kopylov had Ribeiro by the cage early on, stalking him. Ribeiro escaped and was able to press forward, going shot for shot with Kopylov. A leg kick by Kopylov was followed by strikes to the broken defense of Ribeiro. Both exchanged shots within range in a wild round one. Huge high leg kick by Kopylov knocked Ribeiro out cold in round two.
KOPYLOV’S NASTY HEADKICK DROPS RIBEIRO 😱#UFC291 LIVE on ABC and ESPN 🍿 pic.twitter.com/ZX8Gb4hUC3
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 30, 2023
8:25 p.m. ET: After a time out and upset fans, Matthews ended up earning the win via submission. He is now 2-1 in his last three bouts.
8 p.m. ET: The ABC/ESPN/ESPN+ prelims have started. The first fight on that card: Jake Matthews vs. Darrius Flowers. Flowers acted hurt before trying to land a vicious shot to Matthews and taking him down, a true highlight fight the fight. In round two, Flowers got hit right below the belt, and was actually hurt this time. Instant replay shows the top of the foot hit the gut.
7:30 p.m. ET: On the last fight of the early prelims, Uros Medic beat Matthew Semelsberger via TKO. It was a violent affair between the two, setting the tone for the night. After Semelsberger almost had it won, Medic stormed back and landed hard blows, earning the TKO win in the third.
7 p.m. ET: To open the night, Miranda Maverick defeated Priscila Cachoeira via submission.
Hello, and welcome to The Sporting News’ live coverage of UFC 291: Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje 2.
When is UFC 291: Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje 2?
In the U.S., UFC 291 starts with the early prelims at 6 p.m. ET. The prelims start at 8 p.m. ET while the main card is at 10 p.m. ET. Poirier and Gaethje should make their way to the octagon around 12:15 a.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
| Region | Date | Early Prelims Start Time | Prelims Start Time | Main Card Start Time | Main Event Ring Walks (approx.) |
| USA and Canada (ET) | Sat. July 29 | 6 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. ET | 10 p.m. ET | 12:15 a.m. ET |
| USA and Canada (PT) | Sat. July 29 | 3 p.m. PT | 5 p.m. PT | 7 p.m. PT | 9:15 p.m. PT |
| UK and Ireland | Sun. July 30 | 11 p.m. BST | 1 a.m. BST | 3 a.m. BST | 5:15 a.m. BST |
| Australia | Sun. July 30 | 8 a.m. AEST | 10 a.m. AEST | 12 p.m. AEST | 2:15 p.m. AEST |
MORE: How to bet UFC 291: Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje 2
How to watch UFC 291: Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje 2
| Country | Date | Channel + Live Stream (main card) |
| United States | Sat. July 29 | ESPN+, ESPN PPV |
| Canada | Sat. July 29 | BELL, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
| United Kingdom | Sun. July 30 | BT Sport |
| Australia | Sun. July 30 | Main Event, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV, UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass |
The main card for UFC 291 is available in the U.S. and Mexico on the ESPN+ subscription streaming service for a pay-per-view cost. Earlier fights are viewable live on ESPN+.
In Canada, the main card pay-per-view is available on BELL, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus, Eastlink, and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.
Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje 2 PPV price: How much does UFC 291 cost?
- $79.99 (current ESPN+ subscribers)
- $124.98 (new subscribers)
In the U.S., the UFC 291 main card is available via pay-per-view on ESPN+, which also requires a subscription. The PPV price for UFC 291 is $79.99 for current subscribers. New subscribers can pay a bundle price of $124.98 for the UFC 291 pay-per-view and an ESPN+ annual subscription, which offers savings of more than 30 percent.
MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 291 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+
| Product | Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $9.99/month |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $99.99/year |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $12.99/month |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $19.99/month |
| UFC PPV Standalone | $79.99 each |
| UFC PPV Package (UFC PPV & ESPN+ Annual) | $124.98, then $99.99/year |
| UFC PPV & The Disney Bundle |
$79.99, then $12.99/month |
Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform.
UFC 291 results
Main card
- Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje 2 for the BMF belt
- Jan Blachowicz vs. Alex Pereira; Light Heavyweights
- Derrick Lewis def. Marcos Rogerio de Lima via TKO (0:33 into round one)
- Bobby Green def. Tony Ferguson via technical submission (4:54 into round three)
- Kevin Holland def. Michael Chiesa via D’Arce Choke (2:39 into round one)
Prelims
- Gabriel Bonfim def. Trevin Giles via guillotine submission (1:13 into round one)
- C.J. Vergara def. Vinicius Salvador via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Roman Kopylov def. Claudio Ribeiro via knockout (0:33 into round two)
- Jake Matthews def. Darrius Flowers via rear-naked choke (2:37 into round two)
Early prelims
- Uros Medic def. Matthew Semelsberger via TKO (2:36 into round three)
- Miranda Maverick def. Priscila Cachoeira via armbar submission (2:11 into round three)
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