The UFC’s lightweight division will be showcased at UFC 302 as Islam Makhachev defends against Dustin Poirier in the main event.
Makhachev is a multi-time Combat Sambo gold medalist trained by former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. The Russian is 14-1 in the UFC and is on a thirteen-fight win streak. He beat Charles Oliveira for the lightweight title and is coming off two straight defenses against former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.
Poirier joined the UFC in 2011 following a merger with WEC. He is 22-7 with one no-contest in the octagon and tied for the most Fight of the Night bonuses (nine) in UFC history. The former interim UFC lightweight champion is 0-2 in lightweight title fights and is 2-2 in his last four contests. “The Diamond” last fought in March, knocking out rising contender Benoit Saint-Denis.
WATCH: UFC 302: Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier, exclusively on ESPN+
It could be the last title shot for Poirier, the underdog, who is ready to prove he can take down Makhachev, and maybe even finally get a win following a guillotine.
“I kind of feel like some of the stuff he says, he might not [respect me],” Poirier said on The MMA Hour. “But I’m going to put my hands on this guy. I’m coming in there to hurt him. This is my last shot. Mom’s spaghetti. Let’s go."
Here’s what we know about UFC 302 including the card, odds, rumors, latest news and more.
UFC 302 fight card, odds
Main Card
- Islam Makhachev (c) (-500) vs. Dustin Poirier (+375) for the UFC lightweight title
- Sean Strickland (-225) vs. Paulo Costa (+180); Middleweights
- Kevin Holland (-250) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (+200); Middleweights
- Jailton Almeida (-250) vs. Alexander Romanov (+200); Heavyweights
- Randy Brown (-185) vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (+250); Welterweights
Prelims
- Roman Kopylov (-140) vs. Cesar Almeida (+115); Middleweights
- Grant Dawson (-350) vs. Joe Solecki (+270); Lightweights
- Jake Matthews (-150) vs. Philip Rowe (+125); Welterweights
- Alex Morono (-225) vs. Niko Price (+185); Welterweights
Early Prelims
- Bassil Hafez (-300) vs. Mickey Gall (+240); Welterweights
- Ailin Perez (-200) vs. Joselyne Edwards (+165); Bantamweights
*betting odds courtesy of BetMGM
MORE: How much are tickets for 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).
Upcoming UFC TV schedule
| Date | Event | Location | How to watch |
| June 1, 2024 | UFC 302: Makhachev vs. Poirier | Prudential Center, Newark, USA | ESPN+ |
| June 8, 2024 | Cannonier vs. Imavov | KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, USA | ESPN+ |
| June 15, 2024 | Perez vs. Taira | UFC APEX, Las Vegas, USA | ESPN+ |
| June 22, 2024 | Whittaker vs. Chimaev | Kingdom Arena, Saudi Arabia | ESPN+, ABC |
| June 29, 2024 | UFC 303: McGregor vs. Chandler | T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, USA | ESPN+ |
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