Will the third time be the charm for Dustin Poirier, or will Islam Makhachev end his championship dreams at UFC 302 in New Jersey on June 1? The fight will air on ESPN+ in the U.S.
Makhachev has won seven fights since 2021, with all but one of them ending inside the distance. The man from Dagestan is coming off two straight wins over UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, but he is now ready to beat someone in his division and prove his worthiness as lightweight champion.
Poirier has fought a plethora of big stars over the years. He is 2-2 in his last four fights and defeated massive betting favorite Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 299 via knockout. In over 15 years of fighting, Poirier has only held interim gold. He is 0-2 in title fights, losing to Makhachev’s coach, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Charles Oliveira, who Makhachev beat for the lightweight title. “The Diamond” has the fourth-most wins (22) in UFC history.
Per Bet MGM, Makhachev is the -600 favorite, while Poirier is the +425 underdog. Defying the odds again would be the cherry on top of a legendary career.
WATCH:UFC 302: Makhachev vs. Poirier live on ESPN+ PPV
“I have 30 fights in the UFC, I have done it all. The only goal for me to achieve in the UFC is to get the undisputed belt around my waist,” Poirier said via CBS Sports. “It’s safe to say this is my last shot at being champion of the world. It’s a personal thing. It’s not for the fans or for the Hall of Fame. It’s for me and for my wife to hug and say, ‘You really did it, you crazy m—–f—–.’
“All the ups and downs, all the lessons I’ve learned. At UFC 302, I’m going to knock Islam Makhachev out and become the world champion.”
The Sporting News will provide live results, analysis, and highlights from UFC 302.
UFC 302 results, highlights
Hello everyone, and welcome to The Sporting News’ live coverage of UFC 302.
UFC 302 tune-in info
- Date: Saturday, June 1
- Location: Prudential Center — Newark, New Jersey
- Start time: 10 p.m. ET (8 p.m. ET for prelims) | 3:00 a.m BST (Sun) | 12:00 p.m. AEST (Sun)
- How to watch: US: ESPN+ ($ 79.99 PPV fee plus $ 10.99/month membership) | UK: TNT Sports (￡3.99/month or ￡39.99/year via discovery+) | Canada: DAZN ($ 69.99)
- Watch from anywhere via NordVPN (30-day money-back guarantee)
UFC 302 is in the Prudential Center in New Jersey on June 1. The early prelims start at 6 p.m. ET, while the prelims are at 8 p.m. ET. The main card starts at 10 p.m. ET, and Makhachev and Poirier should make their way to the octagon around 12:15 a.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
Fight fans can watch UFC 302 on ESPN+ PPV (U.S.), TNT Sports (U.K.), and DAZN (Canada).
UFC 302 results
Main Card
- Islam Makhachev (c) vs. Dustin Poirier for the UFC lightweight title
- Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa; Middleweights
- Kevin Holland vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk; Middleweights
- Alex Morono vs. Niko Price; Welterweights
- Randy Brown vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos; Welterweights
Prelims
- Jailton Almeida vs. Alexander Romanov; Heavyweights
- Roman Kopylov vs. Cesar Almeida; Middleweights
- Grant Dawson vs. Joe Solecki; Lightweights
- Jake Matthews vs. Philip Rowe; Welterweights
Early Prelims
- Bassil Hafez vs. Mickey Gall; Welterweights
- Ailin Perez vs. Joselyne Edwards; Bantamweights
- Mitch Raposo vs. Andre Lima; Flyweights
