UFC 291 Tries to Find Hope for Success Among the Turmoil

There is no legitimate title at stake during this Saturday night’s UFC 291 pay-per-view event in Salt Lake City, Utah. Depending on how you feel about the “BMF” title, that moniker will be up for grabs in the main event lightweight fight between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje; this fight card has seen the promotion really have to scramble to find a way to promote it.

Several fights fell off the card, and the UFC had to scramble to fill out the preliminary card. What that means is that this event will have a weird feel. Fights in Salt Lake also usually are more taxing fighters due to the altitude of the city. Here’s a look at UFC 291 and what to expect.

What is the BMF Title?

The creation of the BMF title, which stands for Baddest Motherf*****, started from a quip by former UFC fighter Nate Diaz. Following a fight against Anthony Pettis at UFC 241, Diaz called himself the “baddest mother f***** in the game” and challenged Jorge Masvidal to a fight. UFC President Dana White didn’t like the idea of a fight at first but later agreed after a lot of enthusiasm from the fanbase for the matchup.

Masvidal would end up squaring off against Diaz at UFC 244 on November 2, 2019. The fight would end following the third round when Masvidal had beaten up Diaz so badly the doctor decided to stop the fight. A cut over Diaz’s eye put an end to the proceedings.

Since that night, the BMF title has been in limbo. Masvidal would fight for the UFC Welterweight title twice against Kamaru Usman twice, losing both times. Masvidal also fought Gilbert Burns and Colby Covington before retiring. Masvidal’s “BMF title” wasn’t officially up for grabs in any of those bouts.

Poirier Doesn’t Mind “BMF” Title

Poirier and Gaethje are both former interim lightweight champions. The two have met before, with Poirier scoring a fourth-round knockout during their fight on April 14, 2018. When asked about the BMF title being on the line for their rematch, Poirier said he thought it made sense.

Poirier and Gaethje have earned a combined 24 Fight of the Night bonuses since joining the UFC. Both men are capable strikers who have experience on the ground. Each man needs a win in this fight to get back in the title picture. There is a feeling that whoever loses may retire. 

Pereira Ready for Step Up in Weight

Alex Pereira made waves last season by knocking out rival Israel Adesanya and capturing the UFC Middleweight crown in only his eighth-ever MMA fight. Pereira’s reign didn’t last long when Adesanya returned the favor six months later with a second-round knockout in Miami, Fla. Now, Pereira decided instead of angling for another fight with Adesanya, he’d go up in weight.

Pereira’s first opponent at light heavyweight will be former champion Jan Blachowicz. Blachowicz is a Polish fighter who is much more accomplished on the ground than Pereira. During Blachowicz’s win over Adesanya, he utilized his wrestling to earn a decision. Blachowicz fought Magomed Ankalaev in a fight for the light heavyweight title last December, but it ended in a controversial draw.

The Ever-Shifting UFC 291 schedule

The UFC 291 schedule has seen plenty of changes since the event was first announced. Paolo Costa was originally supposed to be on the main card and fight Ikram Aliskeroc, but the fight was abandoned, and each man was given different opponents moving forward. Jake Matthews was supposed to fight Miguel Baeza in a welterweight matchup, but Baeza pulled out and was replaced by Darrius Flowers.

Matthew Semelsberger was supposed to fight Youhan Lainesse, but Lanesse pulled out and was replaced with Uros Medic. Priscila Cachoeira was supposed to take on Joanne Wood at women’s flyweight, but Wood pulled out and was replaced by Miranda Maverick. Anyone who enjoys watching fights will know that there is always a chance something could happen during the week to see the schedule change again.

Is It Judgement Time for Ferguson and Lewis?

Lightweight Tony Ferguson hasn’t been the same since he was knocked out by Gaethje in May 2020. That kicked off a five-fight losing streak for Ferguson, who is now 25-8 on his career. The issue for Ferguson is that he has been taking a lot of beatings and damage.

Ferguson, a former interim lightweight champion, may not be able to take too many more beatings. His opponent, Bobby Green, is a major step down in competition for Ferguson. Green saw his last fight end in a no contest due to a headbutt. In Green’s two fights before that, he had been knocked out twice. Ferguson may be cut if he loses this fight.

Thirty-eight-year-old heavyweight Derrick Lewis is in a similar spot. Lewis will be in the featured preliminary fight against 38-year-old Marcos Rogerio de Lima. During Lewis’ last five fights, he has been knocked out or submitted four times. There has been a noticeable decline in Lewis’ performance, but he has still been fighting top talent.

De Lima has won two straight fights and four of his last five. However, de Lima doesn’t have quite the resume Lewis does. It will be interesting to see what happens to Lewis’ career should he lose this fight.

Other Fights Provide Interest

The welterweight fight between Michael Chiesa and Kevin Holland should open the pay-per-view with some fireworks. Chiesa has seen 11 of his 18 career wins end by submission. Holland has finished six fights during his career with submissions and has submitted himself three times. Both fighters would like to build some momentum and grab a win in this matchup.

Other preliminary fights that weren’t mentioned above include:

• Trevin Giles vs. Gabriel Bonfim, welterweight
• Roman Kopylov vs. Claudio Ribero, middleweight
• C.J. Vergara vs. Vinicius Salvador, flyweight.