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By Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer
Former UFC interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje will face each other for the second time in the main event of Round 5 of UFC 291, UFC President Dana White announced Tuesday.
The £155 bout is being promoted as the second BMF title fight in UFC history following the retirement of inaugural BMF champion Jorge Masvidal in April. The UFC created the title in 2019 as a fun way to promote the non-title main event between Masvidal and Nate Diaz in New York. Masvidal won the belt via TKO and remained in the prestigious “BMF” despite ending his career with four unsuccessful fights.
The UFC 291 pay-per-view event will take place on July 29 at Salt Lake City’s Vivint Arena. It will be the UFC’s second visit to the city in the past 12 months.
The Poirier-Gaethje fight will be a rematch of April 2018’s Slugfest, where Poirier won by KO in the fourth round.
The “BMF” theme echoes strongly throughout the UFC 291 main card. In addition to a fan-pleasing main event, the card also features the light heavyweight debut of former middleweight champion Alex Pereira (7-2), who steps up to become a former light heavyweight champion. He will face Jan Blachovic (29-9-1). co-main event.
In addition, former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson (25-8) will take on Bobby Green (29-14-1). Middleweight Paulo Costa (14-2) will face Ikram Alyskerov (14-1) for the first time since last July, while Michael Chiesa (16-6) will face Kevin Holland (24-9). It will be a clash between welterweight contenders.
The winner of the Poirier-Gaethje rematch is likely to earn a future shot at the 155-pound title. The 34-year-old Poirier fell just short of chasing the title with Charles Oliveira at the end of 2021, but is still very strong in 2020 with two wins over Conor McGregor and one over Michael Chandler. have a history.
The 34-year-old Gaethje also has a year left after a failed title bout with Oliviera in May 2022. He scored a big win over Rafael Fidzieff in March.