UFC 291 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Poirier, Gaethje net $32,000 for ‘BMF’ title fight

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 291 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $271,500.

SALT LAKE CITY – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 291 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $271,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 291 took place at Delta Center. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC, ESPN and ESPN+.

The full UFC 291 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Marcos Rogerio de Lima[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Gabriel Bonfim[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Trevin Giles[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]CJ Vergara[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Vinicius Salvador[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Roman Kopylov[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Claudio Ribeiro[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jake Matthews[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Darrius Flowers[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Uros Medic[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Matthew Semelsberger[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Miranda Maverick[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Priscila Cachoeira[/autotag]: $6,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $5,051,500
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $19,640,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.

Video: Watch UFC 291 post-fight press conference live stream on MMA Junkie

Check out a live stream of the UFC 291 post-fight press conference in Salt Lake City, beginning immediately after the event.

SALT LAKE CITY – UFC 291 takes place Saturday at Delta Center, and you can watch a live video stream of the post-event news conference here on MMA Junkie.

Expected to take part in the press conference are the winners of the top main card bouts. [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag], [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag], [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag], [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag], [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag], and/or [autotag]Marcos Rogerio de Lima[/autotag] may participate to give their thoughts on their fights.

You can watch the press conference in the video above, which will go live upon the conclusion of the headlining bout.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.

UFC 291 results: Alex Pereira earns split decision nod over Jan Blachowicz in light heavyweight debut

Alex Pereira may be up for a shot a the light heavyweight title after defeating former champ Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291.

[autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] may have punched his ticket to a light heavyweight title fight after a former champion of the division.

The co-feature of UFC 291 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City was a key light heavyweight matchup between Pereira (8-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) and Jan Blachowicz (29-10-1 MMA, 12-7-1 UFC). It was a close battle, but after earning split 29-28 scores from the judges, Pereira emerged victorious in his first light heavyweight fight in the UFC.

Blachowicz’s early gameplan was to eliminate the striking threat, as he looked for a takedown just 10 seconds into the fight. Pereira kept his legs underneath him and countered with a guillotine, but it wasn’t there. After adjusting, Blachowicz was able to get the fight to the ground and take Pereira’s back. Pereira remained calm with the full weight of Blachowicz on him, and defended submission attempts. Blachowicz racked up a lot of control time in Round 1.

Pereira worked behind the left jab early in Round 2. Blachowicz responded with leg kicks, which prompted Pereira to respond with a few hard kicks of his own. After hard punches were traded upstairs, Blachowicz completed a takedown and began working from top in guard. After wall walking, Pereira got back to his feet and eventually separated. Both fighters appeared fatigued, but Pereira kept the pressure high in the striking game. Hard punches from Pereira kept Blachowicz covering up against the cage.

With just five minutes to go, the fight was up for grabs.

Pereira led the dance in striking exchanges early in the third. Blachowicz responded with a nice charging combination, but Pereira’s volume remained higher. Midway through the round, Pereira shucked off a takedown attempt, and got right back to marching forward. A crisp left hand popped Blachowicz’s head back. With 40 seconds to go, Blachowicz grabbed a leg for a takedown, and finished out the fight in top position.

The judges were split in their decision, with dueling 29-28 scores going in the favor of Pereira. Judges Derek Cleary and Ron McCarthy scored the fight for Pereira, while Junichiro Kamijo scored it for Blachowicz. The third round was indeed the deciding frame.

Pereria’s light heavyweight move proved successful following a rematch loss to Israel Adesanya at UFC 287. The victory puts him in a position to fight for the vacant light heavyweight title in the near future.

Blachowicz walks away with his first loss since losing his light heavyweight crown to Pereira’s coach, Glover Teixiera at UFC 267 in 2021. He rebounded from that outing by picking up a TKO win over Aleksandar Rakic and fighting to a draw against Magomed Ankalev at UFC 282.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 291 results include:

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.

Twitter reacts to Alex Pereira’s narrow victory over Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291

The MMA community reacted to Alex Pereira’s successful 205-pound debut vs. Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291.

[autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] potentially positioned himself for a light heavyweight title shot on Saturday when he defeated former champion [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] in the UFC 291 co-main event.

Pereira (8-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC), a former middleweight titleholder, emerged victorious in his 205-pound debut when he earned a split decision over Blachowicz (29-10-1 MMA, 12-7-1 UFC) in the high-stakes bout at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

After Jamahal Hill recently relinquished the title, there’s an opportunity for two fighters to slide into the vacant title bout. Pereira may have done just that.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Pereira’s victory over Blachowicz at UFC 291.

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Alex Pereira def. Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Alex Pereira’s split decision win over Jan Blachowicz at UFC 291.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]’s split decision win over [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] at UFC 291 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. (Photos by Jeffrey Swinger, USA TODAY Sports)

UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 live-streamed watch-along with MMA Junkie Radio

Join MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” for a live-streamed watch-along of UFC 291 in Salt Lake City.

UFC 291 takes place Saturday headlined by the return of the “BMF” championship, and MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” will host a live-streamed watch-along right here, which kicks off at 8 p.m. ET.

In the main event, former interim lightweight champions [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (29-7 MMA, 21-6 UFC) and [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] (24-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) meet for the “BMF” title. And in the co-headliner, former light heavyweight champ [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (29-9-1 MMA, 12-6-1 UFC) takes on ex-middleweight champ [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC), who is moving up from 185 pounds.

UFC 291 takes place Saturday at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC, ESPN and ESPN+.

Below is the lineup of fights included in the watch-along:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje – for “BMF” title
  • Jan Blachowicz vs. Alex Pereira
  • Derrick Lewis vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima
  • Tony Ferguson vs. Bobby Green
  • Michael Chiesa vs. Kevin Holland

PRELIMINARY CARD (ABC/ESPN/ESPN+, 8 p.m.)

  • Gabriel Bonfim vs. Trevin Giles
  • Vinicius Salvador vs. CJ Vergara
  • Roman Kopylov vs. Claudio Ribeiro
  • Jake Matthews vs. Darrius Flowers

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.

UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 live-streamed preview show with Farah Hannoun (5 p.m. ET)

Before the fights get underway, join MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun for a live-streamed preview of UFC 291.

UFC 291 takes place Saturday headlined by the return of the “BMF” championship, but before the fights get underway, join MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun for a preview show right here at 5 p.m. ET.

In the main event, former interim lightweight champions [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (29-7 MMA, 21-6 UFC) and [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] (24-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) meet for the “BMF” title. And in the co-headliner, former light heavyweight champ [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (29-9-1 MMA, 12-6-1 UFC) takes on ex-middleweight champ [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC), who is moving up from 185 pounds.

UFC 291 takes place Saturday at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC, ESPN and ESPN+.

Below is the full lineup:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje – for “BMF” title
  • Jan Blachowicz vs. Alex Pereira
  • Derrick Lewis vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima
  • Tony Ferguson vs. Bobby Green
  • Michael Chiesa vs. Kevin Holland

PRELIMINARY CARD (ABC/ESPN/ESPN+, 8 p.m.)

  • Gabriel Bonfim vs. Trevin Giles
  • Vinicius Salvador vs. CJ Vergara
  • Roman Kopylov vs. Claudio Ribeiro
  • Jake Matthews vs. Darrius Flowers

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Priscila Cachoeira vs. Miranda Maverick
  • Uros Medic vs. Matthew Semelsberger

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.

UFC 291 ‘Embedded,’ No. 6: The calm before the ‘BMF’ storm in Salt Lake City

The “Embedded” fight-week video series is back to document what’s happening behind the scenes at UFC 291 in Salt Lake City.

The “Embedded” fight-week video series is back to document what’s happening behind the scenes at UFC 291 in Salt Lake City.

The UFC is back with its ninth pay-per-view of the year, which means the popular “Embedded” fight-week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 291 takes place Saturday at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

In the main event, the “BMF” title is on the line between former interim lightweight champions [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (29-7 MMA, 21-6 UFC) and [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] (24-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC), who fight in a rematch. Poirier won their first meeting in 2018 with a fourth-round TKO.

In the co-feature, former light heavyweight champion [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (29-9-1 MMA, 12-6-1 UFC) takes on ex-middleweight champ [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC), who is moving up to 205 pounds after he lost the 185-pound belt earlier this year.

In addition, [autotag]Michel Pereira[/autotag] (28-11 MMA, 6-2 UFC) takes on [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag] (17-6-1 MMA, 12-6-1 UFC), [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] (25-8 MMA, 15-6 UFC) meets [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] (29-14-1 MMA, 10-9-1 UFC), and [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag] (16-6 MMA, 11-6 UFC) fights [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] (24-9 MMA, 11-6 UFC) on the main card.

The sixth episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

The stars of UFC 291 hit the scales then face off once more for fans in Salt Lake City. Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje rematch for the BMF belt, plus Alex Pereira moves to light heavyweight to meet Jan Blachowicz and more.

Also see:

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 291.

UFC 291: Alex Pereira vs. Jan Blachowicz odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC 291 odds and lines between Alex Pereira vs. Jan Blachowicz with MMA picks, tips and predictions.

In a light heavyweight bout on the main card, Alex Pereira and Jan Blachowicz meet Saturday at UFC 291 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC 291: Pereira vs. Blachowicz odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The early prelims are on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET, with the prelims are on ABC/ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET and the main card is on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET.

Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

Records: Pereira (7-2-0) | Blachowicz (29-9-1)

Pereira suffered a loss in the 2nd round against Israel Adesanya in a title fight at UFC 287 last time out in April. It was his 1st setback in 5 fights at the UFC level as he gave back the strap he took from “The Last Stylebender” in November 2022. Only 1 of Pereira’s 5 fights at the UFC level has gone the distance, and 3 of his 5 fights haven’t made it out of the 2nd round.

Blachowicz was involved in a draw at UFC 282 in a title bout with Magomed Ankalaev. He’ll have to bide his time for another title shot, after losing his belt to Glover Teixeira back at UFC 267 in October 2021. Just 2 of the past 6 fights for the Polish-born fighter have gone the distance.

Pereira holds a 1-inch advantage over the 40-year-old Blachowicz and has a 5.23-to-3.41 significant strikes landed per minute advantage. He lands 66.12% of those strikes, to 57.70% for Pereira.

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UFC 291: Pereira vs. Blachowicz odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:32 a.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Pereira -110 (bet $110 to win $100) | Blachowicz -110 (bet $110 to win $100)
  • Over/Under: 1.5 rounds (Over -150 | Under +115)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +200 | No -275)

UFC 291: Pereira vs. Blachowicz picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

PEREIRA (-110) has been dominant since joining the company, winning 4 of his 5 fights with 3 victories via KO/TKO.

Blachowicz has also been a title holder but the 40-year-old is just 1-1-1 across his last 3 fights. Since Feb. 2019, he’s had a loss via submission to Teixeira in a title fight and a KO/TKO setback to Thiago Santos.

Over/Under (O/U)

While Pereira has had plenty of finishes, he’ll get all he can handle from Blachowicz. Do not expect a quick finish. Take OVER 1.5 ROUNDS (-150), as that should be a rather safe play.

If you don’t want to declare a winner, but still want some action on the fight finish, roll with KO/TKO/DQ (-160) as the method of victory, regardless of the winner.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and us on Facebook.

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UFC 291: Quick picks and prognostications

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the main card for UFC 291 in Salt Lake City.

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main card for UFC 291.

UFC 291 takes place Saturday at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ABC/ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

Last event’s results: 3-3

Overall picks for UFC main cards in 2023: 68-55-4

Welcome to MMA Junkie’s Quick Picks and Prognostications, where I’ll be giving brief, fight-day breakdowns for UFC main cards.

With that in mind, I hope these write-ups don’t come off as curt or dismissive, as my goal here is to offer quick picks and analysis in a digestible format. All odds listed are provided by FanDuel.com.

If you’d like more detailed analysis from me, then feel free to check out my weekly show, The Protect Ya’ Neck Podcast.

So, without further ado…