Everything you need to know about UFC 291: Poirier Vs. Gaethje 2

ACC UFC contributor Felix Heath-Collins with everything you need to know ahead of UFC 291: Poirier Vs. Gaethje 2.

UFC 291 is an absolute banger. Each fight on the main card should deliver. And some of them will deliver big.

In the main event Dustin "The Diamond" Poirier (29-2) (wins-losses) and Justin "The Highlight" Gaethje (24-4) will duke it out for the vacant BMF (baddest motherf****r) belt.

Dustin Poirier has been Louisiana's best fighter since double-champ Daniel Cormier hung up his gloves. He's a dynamic southpaw kickboxer with an incredibly well-rounded overall MMA game. Poirier is dangerous on the feet, very hard to ground, and a submission threat on the ground too.

Justin Gaethje is the guy you show people to get them hooked on MMA. He truly is "The Human Highlight Reel" with a signature combination that has made him the people's champ. He knocks out some elite fighter in spectacular fashion then climbs the cage and does a standing backflip back down.

This fight is a rematch of their first bout back in 2018 which was one of the greatest in the division's history. That one was a back-and-forth war over four rounds that Poirier edged out with his straighter, more efficient punches, and general durability to the power of Gaethje. While both fighters have improved their games significantly over the last five years, I see a similar fight playing out in the rematch. Hopefully, we get several rounds of battle between these legends of the division before one of them scores a KO in the fourth or fifth. I've got Gaethje via KO/TKO in the fourth round.

The co-main event between Jan
Błachowicz (29-9) and Alex "Poatan" Pereira (7-2) is also unmissable.

The Polish powerhouse Jan
Błachowicz and the Brazilian beast Alex Pereira are the only two fighters to beat middleweight champion Israel "The Last Stylebender" Adesanya in MMA (kickboxing too, in Alex's case). Both are well known for their striking and their lethal left hooks in particular. But Pereira is among the most dangerous strikers in MMA history. The only ever two-division Glory kickboxing champion with horrifying left hooks. He's got that Francis Ngannou level of shit your fight shorts. Błachowicz would do best taking this one to the ground just like he did with Adesanya. I've got Pereira via KO/TKO in the first round.

Plus one of the funnest fighters Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson will face Michel Pereira which should be a ridiculously entertaining banger as well.

UFC 291 is this Sunday, 30th July with the main card kicking off at 2:00 PM and the earliest prelims starting at 10:30 AM.