UFC 291's already stacked card has just added another potential barn burner as welterweights Jake Matthews and Miguel Baeza are now set to go head-to-head.
The pay-per-view, on July 29, will be headlined by a rematch between Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier in a bout already being dubbed a Fight of the Year contender.
The co-main event is also generating hype as former middleweight champion Alex Pereira will make his 205lb debut against another former champ in Jan Blachowicz.
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Matthews is looking to bounce back after losing out via a unanimous decision to Matthew Semelsberger back in December. Prior to that, 'The Celtic Kid' had earned himself a deserved Performance of the Night bonus after knocking out André Fialho the previous June.
Baeza is also seeking redemption after suffering a torid time in the octagon as of late. After winning his first three UFC bouts with finishes, the 30-year-old has since lost his last three.
The pair's welterweight matchup looks to be the last addition to UFC 291. The full card now reads:
- Justin Gaethje vs. Dustin Poirier
- Jan Blachowicz vs. Alex Pereira
- Paulo Costa vs. Ikram Aliskerov
- Michael Chiesa vs. Kevin Holland
- Tony Ferguson vs. Bobby Green
- Derrick Lewis vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima
- Michel Pereira vs. Stephen Thompson
- Vinicius Salvador vs. CJ Vergara
- Priscila Cachoeira vs. Joanne Wood
- Miguel Baeza vs. Jake Matthews
Justin Gaethje praises Dustin Poirier ahead of their UFC 291 bout
Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier are set to the main event UFC 291 on July 29 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The pair are not only trying to stake their claim for another run at the 155lb belt, they will also be facing off for the coveted BMF title.
The BMF contenders recently appeared on the DC & RC show where they discussed their upcoming clash aswell as their previous fight. 'Diamond' won the first match up via TKO back in 2018.
According to Poirier, the first fight earned his respect of Gaethje's talent:
"He's the kind of fighter I like to watch; he puts it all on the line every time, and those are the kind of fights that I want to be to be involved in. So that's why this fight is exciting to me. You know, I've ran into Justin a few times since we fought, and he's always been straight up, you know? The thing with Chandler was, I think he's fake. But Justin seems real to me."
Catch Poirier's and Gaethje's UFC 291 breakdown here (6:03):