UFC 291 Recap: Justin Gaethje Knocks Out Dustin Poirier With Head-Kick

Gaethje avenged a 2018 loss to Poirier with a brutal kick to the head that sets him up for a shot at the lightweight title.

Justin Gaethje knocks out Dustin Poirier, becomes the UFC’s newest BMF champion

There is something about head kicks and Salt Lake City.

For the second straight summer, a head kick ended the UFC main event. This time, it was Justin Gaethje, who faked a right punch and landed a right head kick that put Dustin Poirier to sleep in the second round.

The win crowned Gaethje the UFC’s new BMF champion. Gaethje employed the same technique that Leon Edwards put to use last August at UFC 278 against Kamaru Usman, ending the fight—and Poirier’s title pursuits—in extremely unexpected fashion.

Poirier (29–8, 1 NC) was still out while Gaethje was jumping off the top of the cage for his celebratory backflip. It was shocking to see Poirier in that position, especially considering he had not suffered a KO loss since 2016. It is a damaging loss for Poirier, but the win now puts Gaethje (25–4) in line for a shot at the lightweight title against either reigning champ Islam Makhachev or his upcoming opponent Charles Oliveira.

Even though it was short, this was an entertaining bout for as long as it lasted. The opening round was even. Gaethje’s goal of controlled chaos was on display, and he kept chopping away at Poirier’s legs. Yet it was Poirier connecting on a vicious left hand above Gaethje’s left eye that was the shot of the round.

Only a minute into the second round, Gaethje delivered a picturesque head kick. He is now the UFC’s BMF champion, which is a memorable accolade. The victory also avenges his 2018 loss to Poirier, and shows how much he has grown as a fighter. Gaethje has always been an exceptional striker, but he now applies far more strategy to his attack.

The win allows Gaethje a chance to finally seize the lightweight title. He is winless in two attempts for the belt, losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2020 and Charles Oliveira in 2022. He now has a chance to make magic on his third attempt and win the one title that has eluded.

Alex Pereira puts himself next in line for shot at vacant light heavyweight title

Alex Pereira was tested by Jan Blachowicz, but made his light heavyweight debut a success with a tightly contested split decision win.

Pereira (8–2) overcame a difficult first round before doing considerable damage to Blachowicz (29-10-1), who had a welt on his left leg from Pereira’s brutal array of kicks.

Blachowicz controlled the first round, but expended a lot of energy in the process. Pereira survived, then started attacking with the low kick in the second round. Blachowicz changed levels and delivered a second takedown, but Pereira did a phenomenal job of getting back to his feet. Pereira broke free, then immediately resumed his kicks and started landing some ferocious strikes.

The welt on Blachowicz’s left leg was unmistakable. Pereira kept attacking that lead leg, then stunned Blachowicz with a jab with 90 seconds remaining. Blachowicz took down Pereira with a takedown with 40 seconds left, but he didn’t do any damage with it.

Blachowicz landed three takedowns and controlled the fight for five minutes on the ground, but the striking advantage was the difference, and that belonged to Pereira. Next up is a title shot for Pereira, who will look to claim the vacant light heavyweight title.

Derrick Lewis dominates Marcos Rogério de Lima

Derrick Lewis is back.

Lewis produced a record 14th knockout in the Octagon, destroying Marcos Rogério de Lima in only 32 seconds.

Lewis drilled Rogério de Lima with a flying left knee to open the fight, and it was all mathematical from that point. Lewis, who had entered the bout on a three-fight losing streak, celebrated his victory in style. He stripped off his shorts and gave a few DX crotch chops to the viewing audience with a radiant smile.

Rogério de Lima (21-9-1) was no match after taking the knee off his chin. And the win could not have come at a better time for Lewis (27–11, 1 NC), who is now a free agent.

---

Bobby Green finishes Tony Ferguson

Up two rounds, Bobby Green could have sat on a presumed lead.

Instead, Green attacked Tony Ferguson in the third round, and earned himself a submission victory. This was Green’s first submission since his UFC debut in 2013, as well as Ferguson’s first submission defeat since 2009. Ferguson never tapped, but the referee called the fight when he was unresponsive to the arm-triangle choke.

Ferguson (25–9) has now suffered six straight losses. The broadcast team covered for him, but he was outclassed in multiple facets. The one bright moment for Ferguson was when he landed the single best shot in the opening round, but the rest of the damage was done by Green.

The second round saw a brutal ground-and-pound and hammer fists from Green (30-14-1, 1 NC), and it was sad to watch Ferguson get banged around. Green showed his fighting spirit in the final round, and the submission is an exclamation point on a victory over a legend.

---

Kevin Holland forces Michael Chiesa to tap out

Kevin Holland submitted Michael Chiesa in the first round of UFC 291, showing off his elite wrestling and winning his fourth fight in five tries since moving to welterweight.

A knee to the head dropped Chiesa, and then Holland applied a D’arce choke that ended the fight. Holland (25–9, 1 NC) made Chiesa look out of place in the cage, which was a real possibility considering that Chiesa last fought in November 2021. But it wasn’t solely due to inactivity; Holland was exceptional here, displaying solid takedown defense over the first two minutes that prevented Chiesa from igniting any sort of offense.

Retirement now looks like a real possibility Chiesa (18–7). He did not announce it in the ring, but it feels as though it is coming sooner than later. This was the third time in his career he fell prey to the D’arce choke, and at 35, his future in the sport will be outside the Octagon.

The opposite is true for Holland. Though he championed the idea of moving back to middleweight and competing for the BMF title, he is finally gaining momentum in the welterweight division.

---

Alex Pereira lost his middleweight debut.

He is making preparations to ensure that does not happen at light heavyweight.

Pereira makes his light heavyweight debut later tonight at UFC 291 against former division champ Jan Blachowicz. While the focus of the card is the main event between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, gauging where Pereira stands as a light heavyweight will be a fascinating aspect of the night.

“I was already told if I win this fight, I’ll be fighting for the light heavyweight belt,” says Pereira, speaking through a translator. “It’s time to go get another belt.”

At first glance, it may seem odd that Pereira (7–2) would be so quick to leave the middleweight division. He ran through opponents, even defeating Israel Adesanya, giving him his first-ever loss as a middleweight.

Adesanya knocked out Pereira in April to regain the title, but there is no trilogy bout scheduled for the cage. Instead, the decision was made to move Pereira to a weight class that is much closer to his natural body weight.

“The 205-pound weight limit is better for my health,” says Pereira. “I don’t have to focus as much on the weight cut. I can focus more on my performance now, which is better for me.

“So no hard feelings about not fighting Israel again. My body needed this break from all those weight cuts.”

The 291 card is phenomenal, and it also includes Derrick Lewis-Marcos Rogério de Lima, Tony Ferguson-Bobby Green, and Kevin Holland-Michael Chiesa. But the co-main will certainly be worth watching, and Pereira intends to prove that his power will still be a factor at a higher weight class.

“I was stronger than everybody in middleweight, and now I’ll have even more power at light heavyweight,” says Pereira. “I’m ready for whatever he brings. I’m ready to win.”

Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.