Fight Coverage
The Scorecard | UFC 291: Poirier vs Gaethje 2
Check Out Beyond The Official Scorecards, Who Walked Away The Biggest Winners From UFC 291: Poirier vs Gaethje 2
Saturday’s UFC 291 event is in the books, and now that the dust has settled in Salt Lake City, it’s time to go to the scorecard to see who the big winners were at Delta Center.
1 – Justin Gaethje
Famed boxing trainer Cus D’Amato famously said, “Those born round don’t die square.” In other words, you are who you are. Well, Justin Gaethje may have something to say about that. After being a fighter willing to take two shots to land one for much of his career, Gaethje began to add more discipline to his game following a loss to Dustin Poirier in 2018, and he’s since won seven of his next nine bouts, including a rematch victory over “The Diamond” last Saturday night. Now, he may be in line for another crack at the undisputed lightweight title, and while matchups against Islam Makhachev and former foe Charles Oliveira aren’t easy, Gaethje 2.0 is not someone to be overlooked.
UFC 291 REWIND: Final Results | Official Scorecards | Who Won Bonuses?
Justin Gaethje Post-Fight Interview | UFC 291
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Justin Gaethje Post-Fight Interview | UFC 291
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2 – Alex Pereira
Adding 20 pounds to Alex Pereira’s frame didn’t do anything to dilute his intimidation factor on fight night. In fact, knowing that he didn’t have to make the middleweight limit anymore may have made him even scarier. Of course, Jan Blachowicz doesn’t scare easy, so the two battled tooth and nail for 15 minutes in Utah, with Pereira taking a close split decision. But what makes Pereira a big winner is that now with a win at 205 pounds, he has to be in the title discussion, and as such, he’s a nightmare for any top light heavyweight to face, and a joy for fight fans to watch as he chases down a second UFC title.
3 – Bobby Green
Bobby Green’s talent has always been there. But there were so many times when his focus didn’t match that talent, making sure that he lost his share of big fights. But in perhaps his biggest to date, he finished former interim lightweight champ Tony Ferguson and did it by staying on point for nearly 15 minutes. Maybe he’s hitting his stride at 36, and whether he is or not, he’ll get another big fight and we’ll get to see what he does with it.
4 – Derrick Lewis
Take away the knockouts and the big wins, and if a fight fan doesn’t love Derrick Lewis, he or she is not a “real” fight fan. Sure, he’s the UFC’s Knockout King, but he’s gotten here by being a genuine human being, someone quick with a joke, self-effacing or not, and whether he wins or loses, you’ll get the truth, as he sees it. As for the fight part of this all, Lewis needed a victory and he got it in spectacular fashion over Marcos Rogerio de Lima. I got scared a bit when he took his gloves off, but then again, his pants came off, too, so all bets are off, and we’ll hopefully be seeing more of “The Black Beast.”
5 – Kevin Holland
Finally…Kevin Holland is taking this seriously. There was always the impression that he enjoyed the act of fighting, let his personality get put into the equation, and forgot about winning. Not anymore. With his last two wins over Santiago Ponzinibbio and Michael Chiesa, the Texan has still let his personality shine through, but in the process, it’s obvious that he wants to win and start making a run at a title. That’s good for him, and it’s good for fans of the sport.
UFC 291: Poirier vs Gaethje 2 took place live from the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on July 29, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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