UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 Full Fight Card, Date & Details
UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2
United States
Main Card • Final
R2, 1:00
BMF Title Fight
Performance of the Night
Brazil
R3, 5:00
Poland
R1, 0:33
Performance of the Night
R3, 4:54
Performance of the Night
R1, 2:39
Performance of the Night
Prelims • Final
R1, 1:13
R3, 5:00
Russia
R2, 0:33
Australia
R2, 2:37
Early Prelims • Final
Serbia
R3, 2:36
R3, 2:11
Official Event Results
BMF Title Bout
$50k POTN
$50k POTN
$50k POTN
Official Post-Fight Bonus Awards
$50,000 Post-Fight Bonus Recipients
Fight of the Night: No bonus awarded.
Performance of the Night: Justin Gaethje received $50,000 for his highlight-reel second-round head-kick knockout of Dustin Poirier to claim the vacant BMF Championship.
Performance of the Night: Derrick Lewis earned $50,000 for setting the all-time UFC knockout record with a spectacular 33-second flying-knee stoppage of Marcos Rogério de Lima.
Performance of the Night: Bobby Green collected $50,000 for choking Tony Ferguson unconscious with a technical submission (arm-triangle choke) at 4:54 of Round 3.
Performance of the Night: Kevin Holland pocketed $50,000 for his lightning-fast first-round D’Arce choke submission victory against Michael Chiesa.
Reported Payouts & Disclosed Purses
Fighter Purses & Total Payout Estimates
| Fighter | Result | Base Purse | Win / Finish Bonus | Performance Bonus | Estimated Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | $50,000 | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | $150,000 | $150,000 | $50,000 | $350,000 | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | $178,000 | $178,000 | $50,000 | $406,000 | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | $12,000 | $12,000 | — | $24,000 | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | $30,000 | $30,000 | — | $60,000 | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — | |
| WIN | — | — | — | — | |
| LOSS | — | — | — | — |
*Disclosed purses reported by the Pete Suazo Utah Athletic Commission. Under state athletic commission policy, fighters are permitted to choose whether to disclose their contract earnings publicly. The table reflects disclosed purses for the four athletes who consented to public release. Total payout figures include official post-fight performance bonus awards ($50,000 each) distributed by the UFC. Undisclosed contract amounts are marked with — as required by commission privacy provisions.
Historic UFC Records Set
Promotional Records Established at UFC 291
Derrick Lewis broke his tie with Matt Brown to regain sole possession of the all-time UFC knockout record with his 14th promotional KO victory, finishing Marcos Rogério de Lima in just 33 seconds.
With his first-round stoppage of Marcos Rogério de Lima, Derrick Lewis surpassed former champion Frank Mir (13) for the most stoppage victories in UFC heavyweight history.
Derrick Lewis’s 33-second flying-knee stoppage marked the fastest knockout across his entire 39-fight professional career, topping his previous personal best of 46 seconds set in 2011.
UFC 291 hosted only the second BMF Championship bout in promotional history, where Justin Gaethje succeeded inaugural champion Jorge Masvidal with a stunning head-kick finish over Dustin Poirier.
Justin Gaethje earned his 12th official UFC post-fight bonus in just 12 career Octagon walks, maintaining an unprecedented 100% bonus-per-fight average across his promotional tenure.
Former middleweight king Alex Pereira successfully debuted in the light heavyweight division, outpointing former champion Jan Błachowicz via split decision to pave his path toward two-division gold.
Bobby Green secured his first submission finish inside the Octagon in over a decade (since UFC 156 in February 2013), tapping Tony Ferguson with an arm-triangle choke with just six seconds remaining.
Former interim champion Tony Ferguson suffered his sixth straight promotional loss, tying the second-longest losing streak in UFC history after winning a record-tying 12 straight bouts earlier in his career.
Kevin Holland became only the sixth fighter in UFC history (joining Poirier, Luque, Ferguson, Chimaev, and Erosa) to secure multiple D’Arce choke submission finishes inside the Octagon.
Gabriel Bonfim pushed his flawless professional record to 15-0 with a 73-second guillotine choke over Trevin Giles, maintaining a 100% stoppage rate (12 submissions, 3 knockouts).
UFC 291 generated $6,556,443.97 in live gate revenue from 18,467 fans, breaking the previous venue record set by UFC 278 to become the highest-grossing combat sports event in Utah history.
With nine finishes across 11 scheduled bouts (5 knockouts, 4 submissions), UFC 291 achieved an extraordinary 81.8% finish rate, ranking among the most stoppage-dense pay-per-view events of the modern era.
When and where did UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 take place?
UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 took place on Saturday, July 29, 2023, at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Who won the main event between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje?
Justin Gaethje defeated Dustin Poirier via KO (head kick and punches) at 1:00 of Round 2 to claim the vacant symbolic BMF Championship.
What title was on the line in the UFC 291 main event?
The fight was contested for the symbolic BMF (Baddest Motherfucker) Championship, which had been vacated after inaugural titleholder Jorge Masvidal retired in April 2023.
Who won the co-main event between Jan Błachowicz and Alex Pereira?
Former middleweight champion Alex Pereira defeated former light heavyweight champion Jan Błachowicz via split decision (29–28, 28–29, 29–28) in his 205-pound division debut.
What historic UFC record did Derrick Lewis set at UFC 291?
Derrick Lewis broke his tie with Matt Brown to claim sole possession of the most knockouts in UFC history (14) with a 33-second flying-knee stoppage over Marcos Rogério de Lima.
How did Bobby Green defeat Tony Ferguson at UFC 291?
Bobby Green defeated Tony Ferguson via technical submission (arm-triangle choke) at 4:54 of Round 3, putting Ferguson to sleep with just six seconds left on the clock.
How did Kevin Holland defeat Michael Chiesa?
Kevin Holland defended a takedown attempt and quickly locked in a D’Arce choke submission to finish Michael Chiesa at 2:39 of Round 1.
Who received post-fight bonuses at UFC 291?
Four fighters received $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses: Justin Gaethje, Derrick Lewis, Bobby Green, and Kevin Holland. No Fight of the Night bonus was awarded.
What were the official attendance and live gate figures for UFC 291?
UFC 291 drew a sellout crowd of 18,467 fans producing a live gate of $6,556,443.97 at the Delta Center, setting a new arena record.
Why was Stephen Thompson vs. Michel Pereira cancelled from the main card?
The welterweight bout was cancelled after Michel Pereira weighed in at 174 pounds—three pounds over the non-title welterweight limit. Stephen Thompson chose not to accept a catchweight bout.
Did anyone miss weight on the preliminary card?
Yes. Vinicius Salvador weighed in at 128.5 pounds (2.5 pounds over the flyweight limit) for his bout against CJ Vergara. The fight proceeded at catchweight, and Salvador forfeited 20 percent of his purse to Vergara.
Why are some fighter purses undisclosed for UFC 291?
Under regulations established by the Pete Suazo Utah Athletic Commission, fighters can choose whether to disclose their purse figures publicly. Only four fighters (Kevin Holland, Bobby Green, CJ Vergara, and Gabriel Bonfim) chose to release their purses.
Had Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje fought prior to UFC 291?
Yes. The two first collided at UFC on Fox: Poirier vs. Gaethje in April 2018, where Dustin Poirier won by fourth-round TKO in a consensus Fight of the Year classic.
Who called the broadcast for UFC 291?
The pay-per-view commentary booth featured play-by-play lead Jon Anik alongside color analysts Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier, with Bruce Buffer introducing the fighters in the Octagon.
How did Gabriel Bonfim finish Trevin Giles?
Gabriel Bonfim locked in a tight guillotine choke just 73 seconds into the opening round, securing his second consecutive first-round submission inside the Octagon.
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