UFC 291 predictions: Late ‘Prelims’ undercard preview | Poirier vs. Gaethje 2

Light-weight all-action males, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, look to as soon as once more put on a show this Saturday (July 29, 2023) after they headline the promotion’s return to Delta Middle in Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah. UFC 291’s pay-per-view (PPV) present can even see Jan Blachowicz welcome Alex Pereira to the Light Heavyweight division and Michael Chiesa look to snap a two-fight dropping streak at Kevin Holland’s expense.

ABC and ESPN will simulcast UFC 291’s final 4 “Prelims” undercard bouts (ESPN+, too). Let’s take a gander (check out the first batch here) …

LIVE! Watch UFC 291 PPV On ESPN+ Here!

‘BMF’ BELT IS BACK! Final Preventing Championship (UFC) makes its extremely anticipated return to Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah, on Sat., July 29, 2023, with a “Fight of the Year” candidate that can see No. 2-ranked Light-weight contender, Dustin Poirier, run it again with No. 3-seeded Justin Gaethje for the vacant “Baddest Motherf—ker” title. In UFC 291’s pay-per-view (PPV) co-main occasion, former Mild Heavyweight roost-ruler and present No. 3-ranked contender, Jan Blachowicz, look to spoil the 205-pound debut of former Middleweight titleholder, Alex Pereira. There’s Stephen Thompson vs. Michel Pereira and extra, too!

Don’t miss a single second of EPIC face-punching action!

170 lbs.: Gabriel Bonfim vs. Trevin Giles

Six months after choking out Eduardo Garvon to win a Legacy Preventing Alliance (LFA) title, Gabriel Bonfim (14-0) tapped Trey Waters on Contender Collection. The win earned him a UFC contract, which he kicked off by submitting Mounir Lazzez in 49 seconds (watch it).

All of his wins have come inside the gap, 11 of them through submission.

Trevin Giles (16-4) clawed his approach out of an 0-2 gap by profitable three straight, amongst them a noteworthy resolution over Roman Dolidze. One other two-fight skid adopted, although he’s since bounced again with wins over Louis Cosce and Preston Parsons.

He’ll get pleasure from a two-inch attain benefit regardless of standing one inch shorter than “Marretinha.”

Bonfim nonetheless has his share of flaws {that a} affected person, dialed-in veteran may exploit to nice impact. I’m simply not satisfied Giles qualifies as a result of he’s far much less dynamic than he was once and he’s lengthy been susceptible to questionable decision-making. And Bonfim’s arms and submissions expertise are too sharp to permit these types of missteps.

I’d hesitate extra on this decide if Giles nonetheless confirmed his former punching energy, however as-is, he’s doomed to being overwhelmed by a extra violent striker and opportunistic submission artist. Bonfim clips him early and finds his neck for one more fast end.

Prediction: Bonfim through first spherical submission

265 lbs.: Derrick Lewis vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima

4 consecutive victories earned Derrick Lewis (26-11) an interim title shot towards undefeated Ciryl Gane, who dismantled “The Black Beast” en path to a 3rd spherical end. Lewis rebounded by knocking out Chris Daukaus, however has since dropped three straight, together with a submission loss to Serghei Spivac his final outing.

He’s ended 21 skilled fights through knockout.

After beginning his UFC profession 2-0, Marcos Rogerio de Lima (21-8-1) spent the subsequent 5 years alternating losses and wins. He’s since discovered some consistency with 4 victories in his final 5 bouts, amongst them first-round finishes of Ben Rothwell and Andrei Arlovski.

“Pezao” provides up two inches of peak and 4 inches of attain to Lewis.

On paper, Rogerio de Lima is custom-built to supply a basic Lewis comeback. “Pezao” is without doubt one of the most self-destructive fighters you’ll ever see because of poor cardio and an insistence on grappling even when he’s established a transparent edge on the toes. Heck, we simply noticed him lose the third spherical to a one-legged Waldo Cortes-Acosta.

Even acknowledging that his current defeats got here to top-notch Heavyweights, although, his means to execute is an enormous query mark. His basic “simply stand up” strategy failed towards Serghei Spivac and his punch resistance failed towards Tai Tuivasa. In different phrases, it’s exhausting to belief him towards a murderous puncher with robust takedowns. Whether or not it’s Rogerio de Lima’s basic swarming assault, the fast takedown he employed towards Andrei Arlovski, or the affected person strategy that beat Cortes-Acosta, I like Rogerio to interrupt Lewis down earlier than “The Black Beast” can flip issues round.

Prediction: Rogerio de Lima through first spherical technical knockout

185 lbs.: Roman Kopylov vs. Claudio Ribeiro

Roman Kopylov (10-2) initially struggled to seek out his footing within the Octagon, dropping his first two bouts amid 5 struggle cancelations. He appeared to seek out his groove in 2022 with a beatdown of Alessio Di Chirico, then adopted that up by stopping Punahele Soriano 4 months later.

He’s the shorter man by one inch and faces a two-inch attain drawback.

Claudio Ribeiro (11-3) scored one of many wildest one-punch knockouts on Contender Collection to attain a UFC contract, solely to fall to Abdul Razak Alhassan in his UFC debut. He was fairly a bit extra profitable towards Joseph Holmes, pounding out “Ugly Man Joe” for his seventh win in eight fights.

All 11 of his wins have come by knockout.

For concern of jinxing Kopylov, this looks as if his most winnable UFC matchup to this point. He’s by far the extra technical boxer of the 2, confirmed off nice sturdiness towards heavy hitters like Albert Duraev and the aforementioned Soriano, and stays harmful within the third spherical. If Ribeiro can’t blitz him early, which appears past his talents, Kopylov will take him aside.

That’s the lengthy and wanting it as a result of Kopylov isn’t going to fold and Ribeiro lacks the method or the gasoline tank to maintain the momentum as soon as the preliminary assault fails. In the long run, a stout chin and sharp boxing ought to carry Kopylov to his third straight win.

Prediction: Kopylov through third spherical technical knockout

170 lbs.: Jake Matthews vs. Darrius Flowers

The transfer from 155 to 170 kilos for Jake Matthews (18-6) produced a 6-1 run that notably noticed him defeat Li Jingliang. He’s 1-2 since, a knockout of Andre Fialho sandwiched between losses to Sean Brady and Matthew Semelsberger.

“The Celtic Child” will get pleasure from a two-inch peak benefit and a one-inch attain benefit.

Darrius Flowers (12-5-1) turned his skilled profession round with knockout wins in his first two LFA appearances, organising a Contender Collection alternative towards Amiran Gogoladze.

Regardless of coming into as a large underdog, “Beast Mode” emerged victorious by injuring Gogoladze with a slam.

He steps in for Miguel Baeza on lower than two weeks’ discover, having initially deliberate to debut in Feb. 2023.

I’m fairly a bit extra torn on this than I believed I’d be coming in. Flowers is definitely restricted — he’s deadly from point-blank vary, however in any other case a lot much less spectacular on the toes than you’d count on from a former skilled boxer. On the identical time, Matthews outright refused to wrestle one of many division’s weakest defensive grapplers in Semelsberger and took a ton of injury within the course of.

Flowers has weirdly good takedown protection and sufficiently heavy arms to ship Matthews to the mat. It is a intestine feeling greater than something and I acknowledge that Matthews holds a ton of playing cards on this matchup, however I like Flowers to Hulk Smash his technique to a shock end within the opening minutes.

Prediction: Flowers through first spherical technical knockout

Even when I’d fairly not see Tony Ferguson take the cage once more, UFC 291 is a reasonably darn strong PPV lineup. See you Saturday, Maniacs.

Present Prediction Report for 2023: 103-65-1 (2 NC)

Keep in mind that MMAmania.com will ship LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow protection of your entire UFC 291 struggle card proper here, beginning with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches on-line, that are scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard on ESPN/ESPN+/ABC at 8 p.m. ET, earlier than the PPV most important card begin time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

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