UFC London brought many technical fights. In the preliminary card, many bouts went the distance, but the main card mostly was a banger. Overall, a nice card to watch if you prefer technical warfare.
Tom Aspinall destroyed Marcin Tybura with a great barrage of ground-and-pound shots after only 73 seconds of the fight, which brought him a Performance of the Night award. The second POTN, surprisingly, was given to Paul Craig, who destroyed Brazilian grappler Andre Muniz in his first 185-pound fight.
Interestingly, Dana White didn’t give an extra 50k to Julija Stoliarenko, who submitted spinning back elbow queen Molly McCann in the co-main event of the evening to pull out the greatest upset of the card.
The Fight of the Night award was given to Johnny Parsons and Danny Roberts. Yes, it was a good fight, but Parsons finished Roberts with big GNP shots in the dying second of round 2. Andre Fili vs Nathaniel Wood was by far the most entertaining bout on the card to watch, but it seems the UFC head honcho had a different opinion.
UFC 291 Is Heading Our Way
UFC had a lovely card in the capital of England, but it is time for another trip across the pond. The promotion moves to Salt Lake City for another great PPV card. We will see some top-notch fights on Saturday, as the upcoming event is stacked with big names.
Photo: @UFCBrasil
Main And Co-Main
The baddest mother*cker fight happens for the second time in the history of the promotion. Let’s remember, the first one took place between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz, where the legendary “Gamebred” celebrated via TKO stoppage due to cuts. The UFC 291 is headlined by the combat between Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier, who already fought once in the past, where Poirier earned a victory via fourth-round stoppage.
Dustin Poirier is a hard hitter and one of the most technical fighters at 155. He likes long wars, his trademark is his cardio. Poirier can throw big bombs for five rounds, plus his angling and counters are brutal. He constantly moves to his right, which could give serious problems to Gaethje’s ultimate weapon – leg kicks. If this fight goes past round 3, Dustin will get the advantage for sure.
Justin Gaethje used to be a wrestler, but he switched his fighting style. Nowadays, he is a legendary striker and a leg kick phenom. Gaethje is known for chopping opponents down, his right leg kick is brutal. His fights are almost always slugfests, so I am sure this fight will be great. Unfortunately, Gaethje has never been known for a good gas tank, so he might have a hard time if the combat advances into championship rounds.
Prediction: the fight will not go the distance
The former Glory king and legendary kickboxer Alex “Poatan” Pereira meets the former 205-pound division champion Jan Blachowicz in the co-main event of the evening. Jan is known for excellent wrestling, clinching, and calf kicks. His style will be very tricky for the Brazilian striker, and Pereira will have to keep this fight standing. On the other hand, Jan is a BJJ black belt and a more well-rounded fighter. This should be a win for Jan unless Pereira somehow knocks him out with his trademark left hook.
Prediction: Jan to win
UFC 291 Full Fight Card
You can take a look at the full fight card below.
Main Card (ESPN+ PPV, 10 PM ET, 4 AM CET)
Lightweight BMF title fight (155 pounds): Dustin Poirier (29-7-0) vs. Justin Gaethje (24-4-0)
Light Heavyweight (205 pounds): Jan Błachowicz (29-9-1) vs. Alex Pereira (7-2-0)
Lightweight (155 pounds): Tony Ferguson (25-8-0) vs. Bobby Green (29-14-1)
Welterweight (170 pounds): Michael Chiesa (16-6-0) vs. Kevin Holland (24-9-0)
Welterweight (170 pounds): Stephen Thompson (17-6-1) vs. Michel Pereira (28-11-0)
Preliminary Card (ABC, ESPN, ESPN+, UFC On Fight Pass, 8 PM ET, 2 AM CET)
Heavyweight (265 pounds): Derrick Lewis (26-11-0) vs. Marcos Rogério de Lima (21-8-1)
Welterweight (170 pounds): Trevin Giles (16-4-0) vs. Gabriel Bonfim (14-0-0)
Middleweight (185 pounds): Roman Kopylov (10-2-0) vs. Claudio Ribeiro (11-3-0)
Flyweight (125 pounds): CJ Vergara (11-4-1) vs. Vinicius Salvador (14-5-0)
Early Prelims (ESPN+, UFC On Fight Pass, 6:30 PM ET, 00:30 AM CET)
Welterweight (170 pounds): Jake Matthews (18-6-0) vs. Darrius Flowers (12-5-1)
Flyweight (125 pounds): Miranda Maverick (11-5-0) vs. Priscila Cachoeira (12-4-0)
Welterweight (170 pounds): Matthew Semelsberger (11-5-0) vs. Uros Medic (8-1-0)
Matthew Semelsberger is one of the toughest guys to ever step inside the cage, while Uros Medic is known for the big left hand. Medic’s cardio is suspect, so Matthew shouldn’t have a hard time if he survives the first round. Priscila Cachoeira is a finisher, while Miranda Maverick’s confidence is rocked after a decision loss to Jasmine Jasudavicius, this should be a good battle. Jake Matthews meets “kill or be killed” fighter Darrius Flowers, so you can expect a slugfest.
CJ Vergara vs Vinicius Salvador is going to be a technical war, while Roman Kopylov will have to play smart. Claudio Ribeiro is a master in controlling the central line and exchanging toe-to-toe strikes, while Roman gets an advantage on the ground.
Trevin Giles vs Gabriel Bonfim is another slugfest, as Gabriel always goes for the finish. Derrick Lewis is on a cold streak, and this is his last chance to get back into the winning column. If he loses to Marcos Rogerio de Lima, the UFC might cut him.
Stephen Thompson vs Michel Pereira opens the main card, and this is a great move, as both fighters are known for tricky, entertaining strikes. This bout is a candidate for the Fight of the Night. Kevin Holland’s submission defense is on point, so he shouldn’t have a hard time dealing with Michael Chiesa.
Bobby Green vs Tony Ferguson will be a nice fight to watch, but unfortunately, Ferguson is on a five-fight losing skid. He doesn’t want to retire, and let’s hope he’ll somehow outwork his opponent, known for long strikes and technicality. If Ferguson loses, it will probably be the end of his UFC run, despite being a fan favorite.
You can take a look at my predictions in the playlist below.
The UFC 291 has the potential for the best card of the year. The main card is stacked with star power and all kinds of fighters, and there are no mismatches in the prelims. It is 100% worth your time, please sit next to your watching device at 6:30 PM ET on Saturday and enjoy, you’ll see many amazing wars for sure!
