Taking main event honors in the promotion’s return to Salt Lake City, Utah, fierce lightweight contenders, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje renew their rivalry atop a UFC 291 flagship event – with vacant BMF championship spoils awaiting the victor of the pair’s long-awaited rematch.
Landing in ‘The Beehive State’ this weekend, the Octagon will feature a main card which promises to be action-packed – comprising of five former gold holders under the organization’s banner.
And taking main event status, a mouth-watering re-run of their 2018 battle in Phoenix, Arizona, former interim lightweight titleholders, Poirier and Gaethje end the night in Salt Lake City, with the winner landing symbolic BMF gold – previously only held by the recently retired, Jorge Masvidal.
Taking bragging rights into their headlining tilt, Poirier managed to land a fourth round standing TKO win over Arizona veteran, Gaethje back in 2018, en route to his eventual interim title win over former featherweight champion, Max Holloway.
And according to lines currently available at Betway, Poirier is sat as a -150 betting favorite to land a second career win over Gaethje – with the latter placed currently as a +120 betting underdog.
In terms of an interesting prop bet available on the pairing between Poirier and Gaethje – Betway are offering a special Gone In 60 Seconds market – which would see either suffer a loss inside the opening minute, with odds currently available at +1,200 between the two perennial contenders.
Ahead of their 2018 pairing at the lightweight limit, Poirier eventually closed as a -123 betting favorite over Gaethje in Arizona, before eventually landing a fourth round knockout win over his fellow perennial contender.
In the night’s co-headliner, Polish light heavyweight ace and former division champion, Jan Blachowicz welcomes former middleweight champion, Alex Pereira to 205 pounds – as the Brazilian looks to recover from an April championship loss to arch-rival, Israel Adesanya in Miami, Florida.
Last forced the distance against Russian contender, Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 282 back in December of last year in a vacant light heavyweight title pairing, Blachowicz fought to a split draw.
And at the time of publication, on Betway to boot, Blachowicz and Pereira are inseparable – with the pair currently listed at -110 with the bout a pick ‘em.
In his biggest victory over the course of his brief mixed martial arts career, Sao Paulo knockout artist, Pereira landed a stunning undisputed middleweight title win against the aforenoted, Adesanya back in November of last year at Madison Square Garden – stopping the Nigerian-Kiwi with a fifth round standing TKO win.
Also of note on the main card, former interim lightweight champion, Tony Ferguson makes his return to the Octagon – and the lightweight limit to boot, attempting to bring an end to a bruising five-fight losing skid as he takes on fellow veteran, Bobby Green.
Sidelined since a fourth round guillotine choke loss to Nate Diaz back in September of last year, the once-streaking Ferguson is currently sat as a sizeable +300 betting underdog to beat San Bernardino native, Green – with the latter closing as a -400 betting favorite over at Betway to boot.