UFC 291 predictions: Who are the top pros picking in Poirier vs Gaethje 2 and other fights on the card?
UFC 291 is right around the corner. With the many high-profile fights the card presents, the fight night has garnered much attention from fans and pundits.
The BMF title bout between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje will headline the event. In the co-main event, former middleweight champion Alex Pereira will take on the former light heavyweight kingpin Jan Blachowicz.
Let's look at some professional fighters' predictions about the fight card.
In a recent episode of MMA Pros Pick by James Lynch, welterweight fighter Geoff Neal opined that Dustin Poirier is going to clinch a more convincing win in his second meeting with 'The Highlight'.
"I think Dustin is going to pull this one off again," said Neal. "It might not be as close as it was last time, to be honest."
Heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes believes that Gaethje has evolved since his last meeting against 'The Diamond' and will win this time.
Catch MMA Pro's Pick on the UFC 291 main event below:
In a subsequent episode of the same show, former middleweight title challenger Jared Connonier speculated that Blachowicz wrestling might get him the win against Alex Pereira:
"Jan can definitely get him on the ground because Pereira goes forward, he is not a back peddler... Jan could definitely make it happen."
When presented with the same question, top bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen picked the former middleweight champion to get the job done.
Catch MMA Pro's Pick on the UFC 291 co-main event below:
In a recent segment on his YouTube channel, pound-for-pound king Alexander Volkanovski picked Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson to win against Michel Pereira.
Catch Alexander Volkanovski's fight breakdown below:
UFC 291: Fight odds
As per Action Network Dustin Poirier is a slight -152 favorite over the +124 underdog Justin Gaethje. Per the odds, a $1000 wager on 'The Diamond' will yield a payout of $1,657.89 if Poirier wins, while the same bet on Gaethje will result in a payout of $2,240.
As per DraftKings Sportsbook, former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz is a -120 favorite over the +100 underdog Alex Pereira. Per the stats provided by @BestFightOdds on Twitter, former welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson is the -230 favorite over Michel Pereira (+176 underdog).
UFC 291:
Michel Pereira (+176)
Stephen Thompson (-230)
bestfightodds.com/events/ufc-291… @WonderboyMMA
In the lightweight contest between Tony Ferguson and Bobby Green, Best Fight Odds have pegged 'El Cucuy' as the +240 underdog against the Green (-350 favorite).