5 fighters who could steal the show at UFC 291
This weekend, the UFC visits Salt Lake City for a major pay-per-view. In the headliner, Dustin Poirier will face Justin Gaethje in a highly anticipated rematch.
UFC 291 is not a one-fight card, though, and there are a number of high-level fighters in action who could well steal the show. With major fights taking place in a number of divisions, this event is a must-see for all fans.
Here are five fighters who could steal the show this weekend at UFC 291.
#5. Marcos Rogerio de Lima – UFC heavyweight
For a long time, it felt like Marcos Rogerio de Lima was never destined to become a contender in the UFC in either the light heavyweight or the heavyweight division.
‘Pezao’ had won some notable fights over the years, but had always tended to lose some, too. Sure, most of them ended in entertaining fashion, insuring his spot on the roster was safe, but his 2020 loss to Alexandr Romanov suggested he’d hit his ceiling.
Since then, though, the Brazilian has won four of his last five bouts, and is currently riding two wins in a row, including a finish of the legendary Andrei Arlovski. Essentially, he’s in the best form of his career.
@Pezao011 wasn't getting paid by the hour and takes out the veteran Arlovski! #UFCVegas63 pic.twitter.com/xW3mGFt81iKnocked him down then tapped him out!
🇧🇷 @Pezao011 wasn't getting paid by the hour and takes out the veteran Arlovski! #UFCVegas63 pic.twitter.com/xW3mGFt81i
This weekend sees de Lima face off with his toughest test to date. Derrick Lewis might be past his best now, having lost four of his last five, but he’s still one of the heaviest hitters in the heavyweight division. He’s also one of the division’s biggest names.
If ‘Pezao’ can get past ‘The Black Beast’, he could well end up climbing into the top 15, marking himself out as a contender. More importantly, if he can pick up his eighth octagon finish, he could steal the show, too.
#4. Kevin Holland – UFC welterweight
One fighter in action at UFC 291 who is always capable of stealing the show is welterweight contender Kevin Holland.
‘Trailblazer’ is set to open this weekend’s main card against Michael Chiesa. On paper at least, it’s a stylistically difficult bout for him. After all, Holland has been blanketed by heavy grapplers before, most notably Derek Brunson at 185 pounds.
At 170 pounds, though, ‘Trailblazer’ is a far more dangerous fighter, with a massive 81” reach and a huge frame to go with his unorthodox style, as he showed when he knocked out Santiago Ponzinibbio.
#UFC287 pic.twitter.com/t47EVLtqQOKEVIN HOLLAND KNOCKS OUT PONZINIBBIO 😱 #UFC287 pic.twitter.com/t47EVLtqQO
More to the point, he’s clearly confident, as he suggested that he was willing to not only fight Chiesa this weekend, but also was happy to take on Jack Della Maddalena earlier in the month, too.
Chiesa has lost his last two bouts, but ‘Maverick’ remains ranked at No.12 in the 170-pound division. Therefore, a win over him would probably move Holland into the top 15, pushing him up into genuine title contention.
Whether he can pull it off is another matter entirely, as he’s always been an inconsistent talent, but if Holland wins, don’t be surprised if he steals the show in the process.
#3. Michel Pereira – UFC welterweight
One of the most intriguing bouts at UFC 291 pits veteran welterweight contender Stephen Thompson against flashy striker Michel Pereira. This bout is likely to take place on the feet, and could well steal the show.
On paper, at least, it could go either way, but it feels like the fighter more likely to produce something spectacular is Pereira.
‘Demolidor’ has not fought since May 2022, but he is riding a five-fight win streak, and has improved his game a lot over recent years. Gone is the wildman who would simply throw low-percentage shots, and instead, Pereira is now far more economic and dangerous.
Michel Pereira back to his usual antics 🕺 #UFCVegas9 pic.twitter.com/fwItI0pTgU
Despite this, he’s still capable of chaining together incredible strikes. While he hasn’t finished a foe since late 2020, if he can find a way to take out ‘Wonderboy’, it’d become impossible to ignore him as a contender.
Of course, Thompson, even at the age of 40, still has the ability to make his opponents look silly, as he did to Kevin Holland in December.
However, he is definitely slowing down, and so if ‘Wonderboy’ makes an error this weekend, Pereira could capitalize and take him out – and steal the show in the process.
#2. Tony Ferguson – former UFC lightweight champion
It’s arguable that the fighter with the most pressure on his shoulders coming into UFC 291 is Tony Ferguson. In fact, if many fans had had their way, ‘El Cucuy’ would have already retired by now.
After all, the former lightweight champion has not won a fight since June 2019, when he stopped Donald Cerrone. Since then, Ferguson has lost five straight, and has been finished violently in three of those fights.
Tony Ferguson TKO's "Cowboy" Cerrone after a doctor's stoppage. This is how Cerrone looked at the end 😳
(via @ufc) pic.twitter.com/IlRAmT9OzW
Despite that, it’s probably fair to say that ‘El Cucuy’ has not been losing to any scrubs. Justin Gaethje, Michael Chandler, Beneil Dariush and Charles Oliveira are amongst the best lightweights in the world, while Nate Diaz is still dangerous to anyone.
This weekend sees Ferguson faced with Bobby Green. On paper, at least, it’s the first fight that feels winnable for him in some time. ‘King’ is an older fighter at 36 and has not won a bout since February 2022.
Essentially, if ‘El Cucuy’ can win this fight, then it’s likely to be in spectacular fashion, as is his style. If he can’t, then it’ll probably mark the end of his UFC career as a whole. Either way, then, he could end up stealing the show entirely this weekend.
#1. Alex Pereira – former UFC middleweight champion
The fighter who seems most poised to steal the show this weekend at UFC 291 is definitely former middleweight champion Alex Pereira.
‘Poatan’ was last seen in April, when he fell to his longtime rival Israel Adesanya, losing his title in the process. It was the first time he’d suffered a defeat inside the octagon since his arrival there in November 2021.
Rather than attempt to regain the title he initially took from ‘The Last Stylebender’, Pereira has instead chosen to move up to 205 pounds, a move that perhaps makes sense given his huge size.
Alex Pereira ends the Israel Adesanya reign pic.twitter.com/ONEgbNmUY2
However, the UFC have not thrown him a softball by any means. Instead, ‘Poatan’ is set to face off with former light heavyweight titleholder Jan Blachowicz, in a bout that could well springboard him into title contention in his new division.
Blachowicz will not be a pushover. After all, the Polish fighter defeated Adesanya when he moved up in weight in 2021.
Stylistically, though, Pereira’s expert timing and brutally heavy hands make him a nasty match for the former champion. That means that ‘Poatan’ should probably be favored to win this weekend, and if he comes out on top, it’s likely to be via knockout. That means he’s very likely to steal the show, too.