July 30, (THEWILL) – It was redemption for Justin Gaethje in the lightweight main event of UFC 291 at the Delta Centre in Salt Lake City, Utah against Dustin Poirier, as he earned a spectacular second-round knockout early on Sunday.
Their thrilling rematch saw Gaethje, who had previously faced defeat against Poirier in April 2018, emerge victorious this time around. “The Highlight”, as Gaethje is affectionately known, claimed the symbolic BMF belt with a devastating head kick just one minute into the second round. Gaethje set up the opening for the kick with a powerful overhand that distracted Poirier, following it up with a right high kick that landed with enough force to knock “The Diamond” out cold.
With this triumph, Gaethje’s career record improved to an impressive 25-4, positioning himself as a top contender for the lightweight championship, currently held by Islam Makhachev. In his post-fight interview, Gaethje highlighted the rarity of getting a chance at redemption in combat sports and his unwavering belief in himself throughout the journey.
The rest of the main card featured equally thrilling matchups, including former middleweight champion Alex Pereira’s impressive light heavyweight debut, where he claimed a split decision win over Jan Blachowicz. Derrick Lewis displayed his skills with a first-round stoppage of Marcos Rogerio in the heavyweight division. Bobby Green secured a submission victory against fellow lightweight Tony Ferguson, and the welterweight opener witnessed Kevin Holland’s first-round submission of Michael Chiesa.
The UFC action continues with a Fight Night at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Sunday, August 6, headlined by a catchweight (140 lb) clash between Cory Sandhagen and Rob Font.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
