Must-see TV is in store for us on Saturday at UFC 291. Get ready for the rematch that is over five years in the making. The BMF Belt (baddest mofo title) is ready for a new home as Dustin “Diamond” Poirier will face Justin Gaethje for the celebratory strap. Before we get to that sure-to-be Fight of the Year contender, there are so many top-level fights scheduled that the prelims look like a normal main card.
Third-ranked light heavyweight Jan Blachowicz takes on second-ranked Alex Pereira in Periera’s debut at 205. This fight looks to be fireworks before the main event. Blachowicz is unbeaten in seven of his last eight fights, with his only loss coming to Periera’s teammate, Glover Texeira. Pereira is coming off the loss to Israel Adesanya in their rematch in April. His impressive victories against Adesanya, Sean Strickland, and Bruno Silva are why he gets a shot at the top of the division at light heavyweight. Both guys are extremely hard hitters and will most likely be cautious when looking to find open targets. Look for Pereira to edge out a razor-close decision victory en route to his title shot at light heavyweight.
Top Quality at 170
The welterweight bout between #7 Stephen Thompson and #15 Michel Pereira will be interesting. Thompson is coming off a huge win over Kevin Holland following losses to two top-five guys in Belal Muhammed and Gilbert Burns. He made his mark by winning a main event against Geoff Neal but then was unable to beat the elite at the top in his second run at a title shot. Pereira is on a five-fight win streak, albeit against much lesser. Michel will need to prove he belongs at the top of the division and needs to validate those wins. A victory against a star like Thompson would do that. He won’t be an easy opponent for Thompson. The fight should make it to the judges. Pereira is outclassed in this one and his streak will end on Saturday, negating any possibility of breaking into the top 10 at 170.
The King Has Spoken
Tony Ferguson is on the main card looking to get back to his winning ways after fighting every star on the planet. The former interim champ will fight against Bobby Green who is coming off a NC because of a head butt in his last against Jared Gordon. Green is the much better striker in this matchup. Ferguson in his prime would have loved this fight against such a prolific striker; however, he is much past his best days in the fighting game. Look for “King” Bobby Green to put on a striking masterclass, stopping Ferguson late in the third round.
Star-Studded Event
The card is so stacked that a star like Derrick Lewis is on the prelims. He takes on Marcos Rogerio de Lima, who is 4-1 in his last five. Rogerio de Lima is the much more crisp striker, but his cardio is a major issue in every fight. This fight has a vintage Derrick Lewis comeback written all over it. Rogerio de Lima will most likely be up on the judges’ scorecards, but Lewis will land that one big shot late in the fight to cap off the comeback win in a wild turn of events.
Oh yeah…..AND NEW ……. BMF CHAMPION ……. Dustin “Diamond” Poirier!!!
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