UFC 291: Dustin Poirier vs Justin Gaethje betting tips and preview
Poirier vs Gaethje betting tips:
Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje will battle it out for the symbolic BMF belt when they clash at UFC 291 in Salt Lake City this weekend.
These talented fighters produced one of the most entertaining bouts in UFC history back in 2018, so the rematch is eagerly anticipated.
Poirier won that fight by TKO after landing a flurry of brutal punches in the fourth round, and that result should fill him with confidence as they prepare to renew hostilities.
Betting sites make him the odds-on favourite to prevail in the main event at UFC 291, which takes place on Saturday night in Utah.
As such, fight fans on this side of the Atlantic will need to stay up until the early hours of Sunday morning to watch the drama unfold.
However, it should be worth the wait, as both fighters have sharpened their craft over the past five years, and they are both in fine form right now.
Poirier is No 2 in the UFC lightweight rankings after beating Michael Chandler via a rear-naked choke last time out.
Gaethje is up to No 3 following his impressive victory over Rafael Fiziev at UFC 286 a few months ago, so both fighters are on the brink of a title shot.
There is a great deal at stake in this rematch, and we have broken down our top Poirier vs Gaethje betting tips below. If you do your research you might even land some free bets on the bout.
Who is the BMF in the UFC?
When Nate Diaz challenged Jorge Masvidal to a fight in 2019, he declared that the winner would be known as the “baddest motherf****r” in the UFC.
Masvidal accepted the challenge and emerged victorious, although a subsequent run of four straight defeats suggested that the moniker may have been a little premature.
Four years later, UFC bosses have resurrected it by creating an actual BMF title, which Poirier and Gaethje will fight for this weekend.
They are two of the most exciting and popular fighters in the promotion’s history, but neither of them has ever won the UFC lightweight championship.
Victory this weekend could lead to a title shot against champion Islam Makhachev, so they will both be desperate to succeed.
Poirier vs Gaethje betting tips: Back over 2.5 rounds
Durability is a word that springs to mind when assessing both of these fighters, who are renowned for their ability to take punishment inside the Octagon.
Poirier has a 29-7 record as a professional fighter, but only two of those defeats came in under 2.5 rounds.
He has lost just twice in his last 12 bouts, to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira, and both losses came in the third round.
Gaethje fights at a blistering pace, and he is known as “The Highlight” thanks to his reel of explosive knockouts. However, three of his last five fights have gone the full five minutes.
His defensive skills have improved since he lost to Poirier five years ago, and he boasts remarkable powers of recovery inside the Octagon.
This fight takes place at a high altitude in Salt Lake City, and we could see both fighters conserving their energy in the opening stages of the bout.
Their last fight went into the fourth round, and they look pretty evenly matched now, so backing over 2.5 rounds is an appealing option at 5/6 with Bet365.
Can Gaethje turn the tables on Poirier?
Both of these fighters are now 34 years of age, and they have both gone 6-2 in the Octagon since they locked horns in 2018.
The similarities do not end there, as their defeats came at the hands of the same opponents, with them both losing to Nurmagomedov and Oliveira in title fights.
Gaethje may have lost to Poirier last time around, but he was less than a year into his UFC career at the time.
He has improved significantly since then, especially in terms of his defence, his footwork and his general patience.
As such, the fighters now look evenly matched, so there is a lot more value on offer by backing the underdog at odds of 5/4, available at established bookmakers like Unibet and new betting sites such as Parimatch.
Poirier has improved too over the last five years, and he reminded everyone of his quality when he beat the dangerous Michael Chandler at UFC 281 in November.
However, his willingness to trade blows with elite opponents has seen him suffer a lot of damage, and he could begin to tire as the fight wears on, presenting Gaethje with a chance to enact sweet revenge.
On paper, this fight looks like a coin-toss, but Gaethje is the more aggressive fighter and he hits harder, so he could edge it if his defence is on point this weekend.
