UFC 291 Results: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2

UFC 291 returned to Salt Lake City on July 29, 2023, with a lightweight rematch that ended abruptly. At the Delta Center, Justin Gaethje knocked out Dustin Poirier to win the BMF belt, while Alex Pereira began his UFC light heavyweight campaign with a close victory over Jan Błachowicz.

Gaethje changes the rematch with one kick

Gaethje finished Poirier with a right head kick at 1:00 of round two. Their first fight in 2018 had ended with Poirier winning by TKO, but the rematch produced a very different conclusion. After the opening round, Gaethje found the decisive shot before another long exchange could develop.

The prize was the BMF belt. This was not a fight for the UFC lightweight championship, which belonged to Islam Makhachev at the time. Keeping that distinction clear preserves both the significance of Gaethje’s win and the actual championship picture.

Pereira moves up and wins

Pereira defeated former light heavyweight champion Błachowicz by split decision in his UFC debut at the weight. The matchup tested whether his striking could translate against an experienced opponent with strong grappling credentials. A narrow result gave Pereira an important first victory in the division without making it a title-winning performance.

Elsewhere on the main card, Derrick Lewis stopped Marcos Rogério de Lima in 33 seconds after an explosive opening attack. Bobby Green submitted Tony Ferguson late in round three, and Kevin Holland caught Michael Chiesa in a first-round D’Arce choke.

Finishes throughout the card

Gabriel Bonfim submitted Trevin Giles, Roman Kopylov knocked out Claudio Ribeiro, and Uroš Medić stopped Matthew Semelsberger. Jake Matthews and Miranda Maverick also won by submission, leaving CJ Vergara’s victory over Vinicius Salvador as the only preliminary decision.

The scheduled Stephen Thompson–Michel Pereira contest did not take place after Pereira missed weight, so it does not appear among the completed results. UFC 291’s record is an eleven-fight card, remembered above all for Gaethje’s precise finish in its final bout.

Complete UFC 291 results

• Justin Gaethje def. Dustin Poirier — KO (head kick), R2, 1:00.
• Alex Pereira def. Jan Błachowicz — Split decision, R3, 5:00.
• Derrick Lewis def. Marcos Rogério de Lima — TKO (punches), R1, 0:33.
• Bobby Green def. Tony Ferguson — Technical submission (arm-triangle choke), R3, 4:54.
• Kevin Holland def. Michael Chiesa — Submission (D’Arce choke), R1, 2:39.
• Gabriel Bonfim def. Trevin Giles — Submission (guillotine choke), R1, 1:13.
• CJ Vergara def. Vinicius Salvador — Unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.
• Roman Kopylov def. Claudio Ribeiro — KO (head kick), R2, 0:33.
• Jake Matthews def. Darrius Flowers — Submission (rear-naked choke), R2, 2:37.
• Uroš Medić def. Matthew Semelsberger — TKO (spinning backfist and punches), R3, 2:36.
• Miranda Maverick def. Priscila Cachoeira — Submission (armbar), R3, 2:11.

Sources

UFC 291 official results; UFC 291 official judges' scorecards; Event results record.

Article Tags

UFC, UFC 291, Mixed Martial Arts