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Islam Makhachev To Defend UFC Lightweight Title Against Dustin Poirier

Makhachev vs. Poirier lightweight title bout at UFC 302 in Newark, NJ.

UFC 302 is set to feature a highly anticipated lightweight title bout between reigning champion Islam Makhachev and challenger Dustin Poirier. The event is scheduled to take place on June 1 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Makhachev (25-1) claimed the vacant UFC lightweight title in October 2022 with a submission victory over former champion Charles Oliveira. Since then, he has successfully defended his title twice, defeating Alexander Volkanovski first by decision in February 2023 and then by knockout in October 2023. Makhachev, a protege of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, has not competed since his last title defense.

Poirier (30-8-0-1), currently ranked No. 4 in the UFC lightweight division, is coming off a knockout win over Benoit Saint Denis in March. The former interim UFC lightweight champion has a record of 3-2 in his last five fights. Poirier has previously fallen short in two UFC lightweight title fights, losing to Oliveira by submission in December 2021 and Nurmagomedov by submission in September 2019.

Other Fights on the UFC 302 Card

Aside from the main event, the UFC 302 fight card will also feature several other exciting matchups:

  • Sean Strickland (28-6) vs. Paulo Costa (14-3)
  • Randy Brown vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
  • Roman Kopylov vs. Cesar Almeida
  • Sumudaerji vs. Joshua VanHyun
  • Sung Park vs. Andre Lima
  • Niko Price vs. Alex Morono
  • Jailton Almeida vs. Alexander Romanov
  • Roman Dolidze vs. Anthony Hernandez
  • Mickey Gall vs. Bassil Hafez
  • Phil Rowe vs. Jake Matthews
  • Grant Dawson vs. Joe Solecki
  • Ailin Perez vs. Joselyne Edwards

With a stacked lineup of fights, UFC 302 promises to deliver an action-packed night of mixed martial arts competition. Fans can expect high stakes, intense matchups, and potential title implications across multiple weight classes.

Early Betting Odds

As anticipation builds for UFC 302, early betting odds have started to surface. While the main event and co-main event matchups are yet to be finalized, speculation and analysis are already underway as fans and analysts weigh in on potential outcomes.

Stay tuned for more updates and developments leading up to UFC 302, where Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier will headline a night of thrilling fights in Newark, NJ.

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