UFC continues to deliver the goods with another epic PPV event on Saturday night. UFC 291 in Salt Lake City promised violence and exceeded those sky high expectations. Justin Gaethje claimed the ceremonial BMF title with a thunderous head-kick knockout of Dustin Poirier in the main event from Salt Lake City to put the perfect capstone on an incredible event.
Only two of the 11 fights on the card made it to the judges' scorecards and each finish provided a unique spotlight for the winner. It doesn't get much better for Gaethje, though, as "The Highlight" exorcised his demons from 2018 by stopping Poirier -- the man who did the same to him in violent fashion five years earlier. Now, Gaethje is in perfect position to challenge next for the lightweight title once again after Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira meet for the second time in October.
Elsewhere on the card, Alex Pereira made a successful light heavyweight debut, albeit with its own bit of controversy. The Brazilian outpointed Jan Blachowicz on two of the judges' scorecards to earn a split decision and set him up to challenge for the vacant title at 205 pounds. Plus, Derrick Lewis returned to form with a quick TKO of Marcos Rogerio de Lima and he celebrated in kind by taking off his shorts. Bobby Green and Kevin Holland also picked up big wins as each man scored a submission of Tony Ferguson and Michael Chiesa, respectively.
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CBS Sports was with you throughout fight week with the latest news, in-depth features and betting advice to consider. Thanks for stopping by and we'll see you at UFC 292 in Boston.
UFC 291 fight card, results
- Justin Gaethje def. Dustin Poirier via second-round knockout (head kick)
- Alex Pereira def. Jan Blachowicz via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Derrick Lewis def. Marcos Rogerio de Lima via first-round TKO (punches)
- Bobby Green def. Tony Ferguson via third-round submission (head and arm triangle)
- Kevin Holland def. Michael Chiesa via first-round submission (d'arce choke)
- Gabriel Bonfim def. Trevin Giles via first-round submission (guillotine choke)
- CJ Vergara def. Vinicius Salvador via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Roman Kopylov def. Claudio Ribeiro via second-round knockout (head kick)
- Jake Matthews def. Darrius Flowers via second-round submission (rear-naked choke)
- Uros Medic def. Matthew Semelsberger via third-round TKO (punches)
- Miranda Maverick def. Priscila Cachoeira via third-round submission (armbar)
UFC 291 countdown
- Staff predictions and expert picks for the main card
- Brookhouse: Best bets to consider on the main card
- Mahjouri: How to make the BMF title a meaningful championship
- Mahjouri: Gaethje no longer seeking to be as violent as possible
- Mahjouri: Undercard fights worth your attention
- Mahjouri: Five biggest storylines to watch in Salt Lake City
