Dustin Poirier last fought for UFC gold in 2021, losing against Charles Oliveira. Since then, he has fought his way back up. “The Diamond” gets another shot at a belt, possibly for the last time, when he faces Islam Makhachev for the UFC lightweight title at UFC 302 on June 1.
A multi-time Sambo gold medalist, Makhachev is 14-1 with the UFC and is on a thirteen-fight win streak. The Russian beat Oliveira in 2022 to win the UFC lightweight title. His last two fights saw Makhachev beat Alexander Volkanovski to retain the title.
Makhachev wants to stay busy, and though he doesn’t believe Poirier deserves a shot at his title, he is ready to take on any challenge.
“I know Dustin does not deserve the title fight, but we don’t have any option right now,” Makhachev told MMA Junkie. “Everybody is busy. I want to fight. I want to fight three times this year. I have to call out someone, and Poirier is free now. He showed an excellent performance and scored a beautiful knockout. He’s free now, he’s healthy, and I asked him to fight in June.
BUY NOW: Cheapest ticket prices for UFC 302 on StubHub
“He’s beat a lot of top guys. He’s a legend. A fight with him, it’s going to be good for me – for the history, for everything
Poirier is 22-7 with one no-contest inside the octagon. He is a former interim lightweight champion who lost against champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2019. The 35-year-old lost against Oliveira in 2021 following a series against Conor McGregor and has since gone 2-1. His last fight was a statement-making knockout win in March against Benoit Saint-Denis.
Looking to attend the event in person? Here’s all you need to know about UFC 302, including how to buy tickets.
UFC 302 tickets
- Tickets: StubHub
UFC 302 looks to be a great night for combat sports. StubHub has tickets available for the fight in Newark and judging by the early secondary market, it promises to be a high demand hot ticket.
As of May 28, the cheapest tickets available on StubHub are listed at $330. From there, prices extend all the way up to over $39,569 for cage-side seats.
UFC 302 is in the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Home to the New Jersey Devils, the arena can hold up to 19,500 people.
WATCH: UFC 302: Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier, exclusively on ESPN+
UFC 302 fight card
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
Prudential Center seat map for UFC 302
Here's the seating map for the Prudential Center.
BUY NOW: Cheapest ticket prices for UFC 302 on StubHub
