There’s nothing quite like a rematch in the UFC. Especially when both fighters have remained in excellent nick, and it’s been five years since the first fight. That’s exactly the case for the main event of UFC 291 in Salt Lake City, Utah where Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje will step into the Octagon for the second time, having fought once in 2018.
That meeting ended in Poirier winning by knockout in the fourth round, but this could be a very different fight. Both men have matured and gone 6-2-0 in the UFC over the past five years. In fact, both of their losses have come to the same fighters, the two dominant lightweights Charles Oliveira and Khabib Nurmagomedov. Can Gaethje gain revenge for his loss five years ago or will Poirier cement his earlier victory with another win on Saturday night?
Bookmaker William Hill has all the latest odds as we break down the best bets to make on the UFC 291 this weekend.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: July 28th, 9:00 P.M. (GMT)
Looking at the outright winner odds for this fight from bookmaker William Hill, it’s clear that this one’s going to be tight. Dustin Poirier holds the slight advantage at 1.67, but only just, with Justin Gaethje sitting on 2.20 to win.
A clearer picture emerges from the method of victory odds, where Poirier winning by knockout is favoured above all others at 2.70. A knockout to Gaethje isn’t far behind however, at 3.00. From here the odds drop off somewha, with a Poirier decision paying 4.75 and a Gaethje decision at 7.00. The highest odds come from submission wins at 8.00 for Poirier and 21.00 for Gaethje.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: July 28th, 9:00 P.M. (GMT)
There’s plenty to talk about ahead of this fight, but we say the key is going to come down to where this fight is fought. Despite winning by knockout last time they met, there’s a strong chance Poirier will look to take this clash to the mat where he has a clear advantage in the grapple over Gaethje. This also has the benefit of helping Poirier avoid those dangerous bombs from his opponent, who has won via knockout 18 times.
Should Poirier succeed in fighting this bout on his terms then we’d recommend betting on the higher odds of him winning by submission. Poirier has seven submissions to his name, including in his most recent clash against Michael Chandler. It’s an ambitious bet according to the bookies, but we say it’s worth the risk and will generate a nice pay out at 8.00.
