On Tuesday, UFC President Dana White made some exciting announcements about two upcoming pay-per-view events this summer through the UFC’s social channels. First up, UFC 291 is set to take place in Salt Lake City, Utah, on July 29.
This marks the second consecutive year that the city will host a pay-per-view event. During the announcement, White revealed the highly anticipated main card, which will be headlined by the rematch between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje.
These two all-action lightweights will look to rekindle their epic 2018 battle, which Poirier won via a 4th-round TKO. Not only will the fight determine the No. 1 contender in the division, but the BMF belt will also be on the line, adding an extra layer of excitement to the already highly anticipated bout.
Poirier vs Gaethje 2 is OFFICIAL!#UFC291 in Salt Lake City is going to be RIDICULOUS đ„đ„ pic.twitter.com/OYWxzUcJk5
— UFC (@ufc) May 16, 2023
The remaining matchups on the UFC 291 main card promise to be just as crucial and intriguing as the headlining bout. Former middleweight champion Alex Pereira will make good on his promise to move up to light heavyweight.
Where he will be welcomed by former champion Jan Blachowicz. Fans can expect an explosive showdown between these two elite fighters.
In addition, UFC’s knockout king Derrick Lewis will look to get back on track against up-and-coming Brazilian Marcos RogĂ©rio de Lima. The card also features two welterweight duels.
With karate specialist and former title challenger Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson facing off against the explosive and unpredictable Michel Pereira.
While Michael Chiesa and Kevin Holland will square off in an intriguing stylistic matchup. Rounding out the main card, Tony Ferguson and Bobby Green will go head-to-head.
Paulo Costa ready to make his comeback reveals Dana White
During the announcement, Dana also revealed another exciting middleweight matchup between Paulo Costa and Ikram Aliskerov. This highly anticipated contest is sure to deliver a thrilling battle between two elite fighters in the division.
Costa, a one-time middleweight title challenger, will be making his second consecutive appearance in Salt Lake City. His opponent, Ikram Aliskerov, recently made his debut at UFC 288, where he scored an impressive first-round knockout victory over Phil Hawes.
Now, the Dagestani fighter faces a significant step up in competition as he takes on Paulo Costa. Fans can expect an intense battle between these two talented middleweights.
Another highly-anticipated bout on the card is Tony Ferguson’s return to action in a lightweight matchup against Bobby Green. Ferguson will be looking to break his five-fight losing streak, while Green has gone 2-2 with one no contest in his last five fights.
This will be Ferguson’s first fight since his arrest on charges of driving under the influence in Los Angeles on May 7, adding a level of intrigue to the bout.
UFC 291 is packing some big names
Fans are eagerly anticipating the return of “El Cucuy” to see if he can recapture the form that once made him one of the most feared fighters in the UFC lightweight division.
In addition to the main card fights, two exciting prelims have been announced for UFC 291. Derrick Lewis will make his return to the octagon against Marcos Rogerio de Lima, while welterweights Stephen âWonderboyâ Thompson and Michel Pereira will face off in a battle of creative strikers.
The event will be held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, with more fights expected to be added to the card in the upcoming weeks.
Fans can look forward to an action-packed night of fights featuring some of the UFC’s biggest stars, as well as up-and-coming talent looking to make a name for themselves in the octagon.
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