Justin Gaethje sleeps Dustin Poirier with Leon Edwards-esque head kick to claim BMF title at UFC 291

With a jaw-dropping head kick knockout, Justin Gaethje proved himself to be Jorge Masvidal's successor as the owner of the 'BMF' title at UFC 291.

THE BADDEST MOTHERF***ER ON THE PLANET! 🤬🏆

@Justin_Gaethje beats Poirier by knockout and claims the BMF title at #UFC291!!

[ B2YB @KudoSnacks ] pic.twitter.com/tlmF6FbHCE

Exciting lightweight contenders Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje went toe-to-toe in a five-round fight in the main event of UFC 291. The fight was for the 'BMF' title and took place at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on July 29.

The bout was a rematch as the two fighters were first paired up in April 2018. Poirier had gotten his hand raised that night via fourth-round TKO.

THE BMF TITLE FIGHT STARTS NOW #UFC291 pic.twitter.com/GZEBM30na1

The first round was a thrilling striking contest where both athletes landed several heavy blows on each other.

Go inside the Gaethje corner after Round 1 🔊 #UFC291 pic.twitter.com/ns9F5XAM52

But in the second round, 'The Highlight' lived up to his name and landed a brutal head kick on Poirier, knocking 'The Diamond' out cold.

JUSTIN GAETHJE SLEEPS POIRIER WITH A HEAD KICK OH MY GOD

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As the fight ended, 'The Highlight' celebrated in signature fashion by performing a backflip off the top of the octagon.

The human highlight reel does it again 👏 #UFC291 pic.twitter.com/ucVvPi8D2I

Gaethje's head kick knockout at UFC 291 was eerily similar to the one delivered by Leon Edwards nearly a year ago against Kamaru Usman at UFC 278. Another interesting thing to note is that both events took place at the same venue, Delta Center in Utah.

Justin Gaethje head kick: 'The Highlight' demands a title shot

After his stunning victory over Dustin Poirier on July 29, Justin Gaethje spoke to Joe Rogan for his post-fight octagon interview.

When asked about his future plans, 'The highlight' said that he wanted to compete for the UFC lightweight title.

"You know what I wanna do next. I wanna fight for the world championship. These guys [Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira] are fighting in October, I'm gonna prove I'm the best in the world. Win, lose or draw, [maximum] effort is what you're gonna get out of me."

BMF title ✅
World title ⬜️

@justin_Gaethje's got one goal in mind after #UFC291 pic.twitter.com/Gvzvcpp3n8