Dustin Poirier vs Islam Makhachev

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New Jersey will host a UFC Pay-Per-View event for the first time in a year when UFC 302 arrives at the Prudential Center on June 1. The main event features Islam Makhachev defending his UFC lightweight title against Dustin Poirier.

Makhachev, a multiple-time Combat Sambo gold medalist, is trained by former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. The Russian fighter holds a 14-1 record in the UFC and is currently on a thirteen-fight winning streak. Since claiming the title in 2022, he has successfully defended it twice, including a victory over former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.

Poirier, who joined the UFC in 2011, has a record of 22-7 with one no-contest. The former interim UFC lightweight champion has a 2-2 record in his last four bouts. Known as "The Diamond," Poirier's most recent fight was in March, where he achieved a knockout against rising contender Benoit Saint-Denis, despite being the significant underdog.

In the co-main event, former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland will take on former contender Paulo Costa in a rare five-round non-title bout.

There's a reason why a lot of people think Makhachev is the greatest fighter alive, pound for pound. He is highly responsible defensively and has very strong grappling. What's even more frightening are his remarkable advancements. His victory versus Alexander Volkanovski by knockout is remarkable even though the latter entered the bout with only 11 days' notice. The coach of Makhachev feels that Poirier is inferior to the champion as a pure attacker. On Sunday morning, we may thoroughly investigate that claim. 

UFC 302 is set to take place this Saturday in Newark, New Jersey, headlined by a highly anticipated lightweight championship clash. Reigning champion Islam Makhachev aims to solidify his status as the best pound-for-pound fighter by defending his title against the popular contender Dustin Poirier.

Poirier is eager to finally secure a world championship title, a milestone that has eluded him in his previous two attempts at the lightweight crown. Although he has held an interim champion title, the fact that he has never won an undisputed world championship remains a blemish on his otherwise illustrious career and fuels debates about his place among the all-time greats.

Since a surprising knockout defeat in 2015, Makhachev has displayed a level of dominance reminiscent of his friend and mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov. Makhachev is currently on a 13-fight winning streak, with his most recent victories being consecutive title defenses against fellow pound-for-pound elite Alexander Volkanovski.

The undercard includes an intriguing middleweight matchup with potential title implications later this year, as Sean Strickland faces Paulo Costa. Strickland, a former champion, is coming off a narrow split decision loss to Dricus du Plessis, which cost him the title. Costa has struggled recently, losing three of his last four fights, but all of these losses were against top division contenders. Additionally, Kevin Holland makes his return to the welterweight division, seeking to regain his winning form. The undercard also features a welterweight bout between seasoned fighters Alex Morono and Niko Price.