Islam Makhachev will defend his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 302, while the co-main event will feature Sean Strickland against Paulo Costa.
Alright, let’s dive into it. So, Islam Makhachev is all set to defend his lightweight title. And guess who he’s up against? None other than Dustin Poirier. This is the new main event for UFC 302, folks. It’s happening in Newark, N.J. on June 1.
But wait, there’s more. The co-main event is just as thrilling. We’ve got former middleweight champ Sean Strickland squaring off against Paulo Costa. Both these fights were announced at the UFC 300 post-fight press conference. And who made the announcement? The big boss himself, UFC CEO Dana White.
Now, there’s been a buzz for a while that Makhachev would be back in the ring sooner rather than later. And Poirier seemed like the top contender for the title shot. Why? Well, remember how he obliterated Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299 in March? Yeah, that’s why.
Poirier, a former interim lightweight champion, hasn’t had the best luck with undisputed titles. He’s had two shots and came up short both times – once against Khabib Nurmagomedov and then Charles Oliveira. But he’s not one to back down. He’s going for a third attempt, this time against Makhachev, one of the most dominant champs in the UFC right now.
Makhachev? He’s tasted defeat just once in his career. He’s currently on a 13-fight winning streak, including two successful defenses of his lightweight title. His most recent victory? A knockout against Alexander Volkanovski in a rematch. This was after their first encounter in February, which was a Fight of the Year contender.
Now, Makhachev is gearing up for a third title defense. He’ll be clashing with Poirier in a five-round title fight to wrap up UFC 302 in June.
As for the co-main event, Strickland is stepping into the ring for the first time since he lost his middleweight title to Dricus du Plessis. It was a razor-close decision. And Costa? He’s also looking to bounce back after a tough fight with Robert Whittaker at UFC 298 in February.