UFC 291 odds: Best bets for Poirier vs. Gaethje 2

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We've got one of the most stacked MMA fight cards in recent memory this weekend in Salt Lake City with UFC 291.

Get in on some sports betting action for Poirier vs. Gaethje 2, Blachowicz vs. Pereira and more this Saturday.

UFC 291 picks: Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje 2 odds and picks, plus more for Saturday

The BMF title is on the line as Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje face off for a second time after a stellar first meeting that ended with a TKO win for Poirier.

In addition to this likely lightweight title eliminator fight, we've got a light heavyweight title eliminator fight between two former UFC champions in Jan Blachowicz and Alex Pereira as the co-main event.

Here are the odds for the main card:

• Dustin Poirier (-162 ML) vs. Justin Gaethje (+126 ML)
• Jan Blachowicz (-130 ML) vs. Alex Pereira (+102 ML)
• Stephen Thompson (-166 ML) vs. Michel Pereira (+130 ML)
• Bobby Green (-430 ML) vs. Tony Ferguson (+300 ML)
• Kevin Holland (-160 ML) vs. Michael Chiesa (+124 ML)

UFC 291 main event preview and pick: Dustin Poirier via TKO/KO (+200 or better)

This is one of the toughest fights to make a pick on in recent memory considering both fighters have such similar resumes over the last few years.

In fact, in the last five years, both of their only two losses have comes via submissions against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira with the UFC lightweight championship on the line.

But this isn't going to be a fight on the mat. These two are going to get to the middle of the octagon and bang on the feet until someone gets knocked out -- and we like Poirier to make it happen again.

Poirier TKO'd Gaethje in the first minute of Round 4 in their first meeting back in 2018. Gaethje was essentially out on his feet after a left hand to the face turned into an onslaught and eventual stoppage by ref Herb Dean.

This is a five-round fight, so we don't expect things to end so early as the two conserve their energy for a war, but eventually, we like Poirier to get the job done and set himself up for another title shot.

UFC 291 co-main event preview and pick: Alex Pereira via TKO/KO (+180 or better)

The light heavyweight division has been wide open ever since Jon Jones vacated the title in 2020.

We've seen four different fighters become champions, with the most recent two needing to vacate the title without a single defense due to injury.

Enter another two contenders in Jan Blachowicz, the first UFC light heavyweight champion since Jon Jones vacated the title, and Alex Pereira, the only man to defeat UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya at 185 pounds.

With Pereira moving up a weight class after giving the belt back to Adesanya in April and Blachowicz coming off a draw against Magomed Ankalaev for the vacant belt at 205 pounds, we've got quite the matchup coming at us in the co-main event.

Things will come down to the style of the match, with Pereira ultimately a scarier striker and Blachowicz a better wrestler.

The key here is we've never seen Pereira at 205, meaning his ability to knock just about anyone out with one punch will be elevated even more so. 

We'll have to see if Pereira can escape Blachowicz's ground game, but if they stay on the feet, you should expect a nasty KO for the Brazilian.

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Coby Green is a managing editor for Catena Media based out of New York. Since graduating from Rutgers University with a degree in journalism and media in 2019, he has worked as an editorial producer for SNY and an associate SEO editor for The Action Network. His go to sports for both watching and betting include the NFL, NBA, MLB and UFC.