UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 Picks
When: Saturday, July 29, 2023
Where: Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
TV: PPV
Fight Analysis:
UFC 291 in Salt Lake City is headlined by a compelling rematch between elite 155-pound contenders Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje. In an April 2018 barnburner, Poirier scored a 4th round TKO over Gaethje in a memorable main event. A lot has gone down since then, but it has culminated in another pivotal meeting between these two 34-year old standouts in another high-stakes battle where the winner likely moves on to another chance at winning the title. Let’s break it down!
Dustin Poirier, 29-7 (14 KOs, 8 Submissions), (-125) vs. Justin Gaethje, 24-4 (19 KOs, 1 Submission), (+105)—Odds by Bovada Sportsbook (You can bet the fight live-in-progress!)
Lightweights Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje will battle it out in the UFC 291 main event. Their first fight was truly high drama. The leg kicks of Gaethje threatened to truly discombobulate Poirier who was really teetering at times. And when Poirier was able to muster up the offense in the fourth round, it was a last gasp effort, as more leg kicks would likely have folded him. It was a complex battle with a lot of give and take and one should expect similar this time around.
Poirier has the best hands at 155 pounds in an overall sense. And his wherewithal in that last fight to launch a series of combinations to bring the curtain down on the otherworldly-tough Gaethje was something to behold. His work to the body truly allowed him to stay in the fight as Gaethje mercilessly cracked away at Poirier’s legs. But Gaethje also has deadly hands and while not as polished or educated in the art of boxing, his wild brawling paired well with Poirier’s smoother style. While he never seems to wrestle, Gaethje’s background in that area allows him to repel the wrestling of his opponents.
The thing is that Poirier was absolutely ready to go throughout that first fight. It’s an ultra-difficult spot to be in when you’re dealing with a wild brawler who is whacking away with heavy leg-kicks, especially when the guy is also known as being one of the toughest blood-and-guts warriors in MMA and almost impossible to put away. But what allowed Poirier to get the “W” was his versatility and toughness. No matter how hard he got hit, he always stayed together. He zeroed in on Gaethje’s body like nobody’s business. His kicks, while not as damaging, were more varied than Gaethje’s and helped set up other parts of his offense. And like the first time, this is a matchup that will force Poirier to extol every positive aspect of his fighting profile to prevail.
