UFC 291 LIVE: Justin Gaethje knocks out Dustin Poirier with head kick

Re-live updates from the ‘BMF’ title fight, a long-awaited rematch that topped a stacked card in Utah

MMA fighter Tom Aspinall sings 'Sweet Caroline' at UFC London

Justin Gaethje knocked Dustin Poirier out cold with a stunning head kick on Saturday, winning their rematch at UFC 291 and claiming the ‘BMF’ title.

Five years after suffering a TKO loss to Poirier, Gaethje looked a completely different fighter against his fellow American, getting the better of most exchanges in Round 1. Gaethje, widely deemed the most exciting athlete in the UFC, then dropped Poirier with a clean head kick in Round 2 to end the fight abruptly.

In doing so, the lightweight won the ‘Baddest Motherf*****’ belt, a gimmick title previously seen in 2019 when Jorge Masvidal beat Nate Diaz to become the inaugural champion.

In the co-main event, former middleweight champion Alex Pereira moved up to light-heavyweight and outpointed Jan Blachowicz, an ex-title holder in the division.

Re-live updates and results from UFC 291, below.

UFC 291 LIVE: Poirier vs Gaethje

• Justin Gaethje knocks Dustin Poirier out cold with head kick to win ‘BMF’ belt
• Alex Pereira narrowly outpoints Jan Blachowicz in co-main event
• Derrick Lewis scores early KO of Marcos Rogerio de Lima after flying knee
• Tony Ferguson’s losing streak goes on with submission defeat by Bobby Green
• Michael Chiesa suffers tough return with submission loss to Kevin Holland
• Gaethje and Poirier share wholesome backstage moment after KO
• Gaethje reacts to Conor McGregor callout after main-event win

[30 July 2023 01:07 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 291 LIVE: Poirier vs Gaethje – timings tonight

UFC 291 takes place at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah tonight.

The early prelims are set to begin at 11.30pm BST (3.30pm PT, 5.30pm CT, 6.30pm ET), with the regular prelims following at 1am BST (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET).

The main card is then due to begin at 3am BST (7pm PT, 9pm CT, 10pm ET).

[29 July 2023 23:49 · Lawrence Ostlere]

Poirier vs Gaethje LIVE

Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje will clash in the main event of UFC 291 tonight, in a rematch with the ‘BMF’ title on the line.

Poirier beat Gaethje via fourth-round TKO in 2018, and the pair’s careers followed similar trajectories in the time since. Poirier, 34, won the interim lightweight title in 2019 but failed to unify the belt against Khabib Nurmagomedov, losing to the Russsian via submission; Gaethje, 34, then collected the interim gold in 2020 but was also submitted by Khabib.

Each man then got a second crack at the gold but came up short again, with Poirier submitted by Charles Oliveira in 2021 and Gaethje suffering the same fate last May. However, Poirier and Gaethje have both bounced back since then, with the former stopping Michael Chandler and the latter beating Rafael Fiziev.

And when Poirier and Gaethje rematch in Salt Lake City, Utah, tonight, the ‘Baddest Motherf*****’ belt will be up for grabs. The title has only appeared once before, when Jorge Masvidal beat Nate Diaz to become the inaugural champion in 2019. In this evening’s co-main event, former middleweight champion Alex Pereira moves up to light-heavyweight to face Jan Blachowicz, an ex-title holder in the division.