UFC 291: Justin Gaethje beats Dustin Poirier to stake lightweight title shot claim

Justin Gaethje earned revenge for his nonaccomplishment to Dustin Poirier successful 2018

Justin Gaethje bushed Dustin Poirier by knockout to triumph the symbolic BMF rubric astatine UFC 291 successful Salt Lake City, Utah - staking a assertion for a changeable astatine the lightweight belt.

The 34-year-old landed a close high-kick connected Poirier, 34, to seal triumph aft 1 infinitesimal of the 2nd round.

"I privation to combat for the [lightweight] championship," Gaethje said.

"These guys are warring successful October and I privation my chance. Win, suffer oregon gully I'm going to springiness everything."

Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev makes the 2nd defence of his rubric against Charles Oliveira astatine UFC 294 successful Abu Dhabi connected 21 October.

Former interim lightweight champion Gaethje - who has 25 wins from 29 fights, with 20 coming by knockout - could beryllium fixed the accidental to look the winner.

Gaethje mislaid to Poirier via a fourth-round TKO successful 2018 but has vastly improved since that decision and looked afloat of assurance astatine Delta Center.

The opening circular was afloat disconnected intensity, ensuring the bout lived up to its billing arsenic Gaethje and Poirier landed immoderate coagulated combinations.

That tempo continued successful circular 2 arsenic chants for some fighters rang astir the arena.

With 1 infinitesimal ticking implicit connected the timepiece and successful a mode reminiscent of Leon Edwards' triumph against Kamaru Usman for the welterweight rubric astatine UFC 278 astatine the aforesaid venue, Gaethje landed a perfectly timed high-kick to driblet Poirier to the canvas.

Poirier was retired acold arsenic referee Herb Dean jumped successful to forestall immoderate further harm and Gaethje was soon back-flipping disconnected the apical of the octagon.

Gaethje said: "I've ne'er thrown it erstwhile [the caput kick].

"Unlike immoderate different athletics connected world you seldom get a accidental astatine redemption. When we instrumentality a nonaccomplishment you person to spell location and beryllium with it. It eats distant astatine us, truthful to travel backmost and beryllium myself is great.

"Dustin [Poirier] is 1 of the top fighters connected world and I convey deity I came retired connected the close broadside this time."

Pereira sets sights connected airy heavyweight strap

Alex Pereira was making his debut astatine airy heavyweight

In the co-main event, Alex Pereira bushed Jan Blachowicz by divided determination connected his airy heavyweight debut to enactment himself successful contention to combat for the vacant title.

Blachowicz, 40, secured a takedown successful the opening 30 seconds and, aft taking Pereira's backmost and sinking successful a assemblage triangle, helium went hunting for the neck.

But Pereira hung in, warring the hands to support respective submission attempts and managing to spot retired the circular without taking excessively overmuch damage.

Poland's Blachowicz, who drew with Magomed Ankalaev for the vacant airy heavyweight rubric past clip astatine UFC 282, looked retired connected his feet erstwhile circular 2 began and was perchance affected by the altitude of Salt Lake City sitting 4,330 feet supra oversea level.

Former middleweight champion Pereira, 36, started to settee into his rhythm, landing immoderate nasty limb kicks and uncovering his scope with the hands.

The Brazilian, who weighed-in astatine 205.5lb but had swelled to northbound of 225lb by the clip helium stepped into the octagon, inactive looked caller successful the last round, defending takedowns and timing his shots to perfection.

Pereira said: "It was a precise hard combat but I deliberation I was capable to amusement you immoderate of my crushed game. Be diligent with maine due to the fact that determination is simply a batch much to come.

"My absorption is ever the belt. We've had conversations earlier astir the loop and present I privation to combat for it.

"Right present I americium focused connected this part and privation to beryllium champion of this part and past I person concern to solve."

The "business" Pereira speaks of relates to middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, who bushed Pereira to reclaim the rubric astatine UFC 287.

For now, it appears his absorption is connected becoming a two-weight UFC champion, with his sights acceptable connected the vacant airy heavyweight title.

Jamahal Hill vacated the belt connected 14 July to person country connected an Achilles wounded and Pereira could beryllium successful enactment to look erstwhile champion Jiri Prochazka.