MMA is coming back to Salt Lake City. Here's what you need to know about UFC 291

SALT LAKE CITY — The country's largest mixed martial arts promotion is coming back to Utah's state capitol.

Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje will headline UFC 291 for the vacant BMF lightweight title, held in the soon-to-be-rebranded Delta Center on July 29, the promotion announced Tuesday.

"To end the month, we're going back to Salt Lake City, Utah," UFC president Dana White said in making the announcement. "I want to thank our partners at the Utah Jazz and Smith Entertainment Group for hosting UFC 291 on Saturday, July 29 from the Delta Center.

"Since Jorge Masvidal retired, the BMF title is back up for grabs. The main event will be five rounds between the No. 2 and No. 3 lightweights in the world: former champion Dustin Poirier takes on another former champion Justin Gaethje for the vacant BMF title between two of the baddest dudes in the game."

It will be third UFC event hosted in Salt Lake City, and just a year after UFC 278 that saw Leon "Rocky" Edwards upset Kamaru Usman for the welterweight title in front of a sellout crowd of 18,324 fans inside Vivint Arena. The promotion's first foray into the market drew just over 6,000 fans for a Fight Night in 2016 headlined by mostly young fighters and Layton native Court McGee.

The next Beehive State bout will be the first to be held inside the Delta Center. That arena will revert back to its previous name under a new, long-term agreement between the Utah Jazz and the airline magnate beginning in July and will try to build on a fan base that last drew $4.3 million at the gate with a reported $2.5 million in fighter payouts, according to the Utah Athletic Commission.

"The crowd was incredible tonight," White said of the Salt Lake fight at the time. "You can put this crowd up there with anybody tonight. They were fired up, they were into it. The arena was 60% full at the first fight of the night."

In addition to Poirier-Gaethje 2, UFC 291 will include four other bouts that also include co-main event No. 3-ranked Jan Blachowciz taking on Alex Pereira in the former middleweight champion's move to 205 pounds in a light heavyweight bout.

No. 5-ranked Paulo Costa will make his second straight appearance in Salt Lake City when he faces Ikram Aliskerov in a middleweight bout at 185 pounds.

"Salt Lake City people are amazing," Costa said after his win by unanimous decision over Luke Rockhold at UFC 278. "The atmosphere in the arena was so intense. I could feel the good energy when I came here; I heard the people very loud, every single fight.

"When I was getting into the arena, I felt the energy. It felt great. To me, it's very special. I think this sport needs this audience as part of the sport. I like this energy, and I hope to always fight with an audience of people like the one from Salt Lake City."

Tony Ferguson will try to snap a five-fight losing skid in a lightweight bout against Bobby Green, and No. 12 Michael Chiesa will face off against Kevin Holland in a welterweight bout to finish off the main card announced Tuesday.

Tickets will go on sale June 2 through Ticketmaster, the UFC announced.

"The Utah event last summer was a blast," White said, "and I'm looking very forward to getting back to the Delta Center."

Related topics