UFC 291 Aftermath: Justin Gaethje and 3 others bag $50K for stoppages; Salt Lake City secures impressive gate for another head kick headliner

The highly anticipated UFC 291 event lived up to the hype and delivered several moments throughout the night on July 29. The fight card took place at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah and was headlined by a lightweight showdown between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje for the 'BMF' title.

Gaethje stunned the MMA world by delivering a brutal head-kick knockout against Poirier in the second round. By doing so, 'The Highlight' avenged his first loss to 'The Diamond' and also became the first man to knock Poirier out in nearly seven years.

Gaethje earned a Performance of the Night bonus worth $50,000 for his victory.

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Apart from Gaethje, Bobby Green, Kevin Holland, and Derrick Lewis were also named among the winners of the Performance of the Night bonus for their spectacular finishes. All three received an additional cheque of $50,000 each for their efforts.

UFC 291 outperforms the last promotional event held in Utah

UFC 291 marked the second UFC pay-per-view event in Salt Lake City, Utah. There were 18,467 people in attendance for the event in the Delta Center. This was more than UFC 278's attendance (18,321), the previous UFC pay-per-view event held there in August 2022.

Jon Anik announces the attendance as 18,467.

Last year was 18,321
#UFC291

Dana White revealed the live gate for the event on his Instagram. Delta Center recorded a massive $6.55 million, which broke the venue's F&B record as well.

One interesting similarity between the two Utah pay-per-view events is that they both ended with head-kick knockouts. Leon Edwards dethroned Kamaru Usman via a head kick to become the new welterweight champion at UFC 278. Justin Gaethje earned the 'BMF' title in the same manner on July 29.

Head Kick City📍 #UFC291 pic.twitter.com/mOM9DbG2sH" target="_blank" title="tweet-url" rel="noopener noreferrer">pic.twitter.com/mOM9DbG2sH