UFC 291
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | July 29, 2023 |
| Headquarters | Salt Lake City, Utah , United States |
Area served | United States |
UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, taking place on July 29, 2023, at the Delta Center located in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States.
Background
This event represented the UFC’s third occasion hosting in Salt Lake City and their first return since UFC 278 held in August 2022.
The headline bout was a lightweight rematch featuring former interim UFC Lightweight Champions Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, who is also a previous WSOF Lightweight Champion. They battled for the vacant "BMF" (baddest motherfucker) title, which became available following Jorge Masvidal’s retirement in April. Their initial encounter at UFC on Fox: Poirier vs. Gaethje in April 2018 concluded with Poirier securing a TKO victory in the fourth round and was highly praised as the "Fight of the Year."
A welterweight contest between former title contender Stephen Thompson and Michel Pereira was postponed from UFC 289 but ultimately canceled during weigh-ins after Pereira failed to make weight by three pounds.
Matthew Semelsberger was originally scheduled to fight Yohan Lainesse; however, Lainesse withdrew and was replaced by promotional newcomer Uroš Medić. Likewise, Joanne Wood pulled out of her women's flyweight matchup against Priscila Cachoeira, with Miranda Maverick stepping in as her substitute.
The welterweight clash between Jake Matthews and Miguel Baeza changed when Baeza withdrew, leading to promotional debutant Darrius Flowers taking his place.
Former middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa and Ikram Aliskerov were initially slated for this card but were reassigned to UFC 294, where they faced Khamzat Chimaev and Nassourdine Imavov, respectively.
During the weigh-in, Vinicius Salvador exceeded the flyweight limit by two and a half pounds; consequently, their bout proceeded at catchweight with Salvador fined 20% of his purse, which was awarded to opponent C.J. Vergara.
Bonus awards
The following fighters earned $50,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: No award granted.
- Performance of the Night: Justin Gaethje, Derrick Lewis, Bobby Green, and Kevin Holland
Reported payout
Disclosed fighter payouts reported to the Pete Suazo Utah Athletic Commission are as follows. These amounts exclude sponsorship deals and undisclosed bonuses:
- Kevin Holland: $356,000 (including $178,000 win bonus) defeated Michael Chiesa
- Bobby Green: $300,000 (including $150,000 win bonus) defeated Tony Ferguson
- C.J. Vergara: $60,000 (including $30,000 win bonus) defeated Vinicius Salvador
- Gabriel Bonfim: $24,000 (including $12,000 win bonus) defeated Trevin Giles