The UFC is back in New Jersey, and the lightweight belt is on the line at the top of the bill.
UFC 302 (pay-per-view/ESPN/ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)
Get pick results from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis, below.
Randy Brown vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
Records: Brown (18-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC), Zaleski dos Santos (24-7-1 MMA, 10-3-1 UFC)
Past five: Brown 3-2, Zaleski dos Santos 3-2
Division: Welterweight
Rankings: Brown honorable mention
Odds (as of 05.31.24): Brown -180, Zaleski dos Santos +150
Junkie pick results: Brown 10, Zaleski dos Santos 1
Alex Morono vs. Niko Price
Records: Morono (24-9 MMA, 13-6 UFC), Price (15-7 MMA, 7-7 UFC)
Past five: Morono 3-2, Price 1-4
Division: Welterweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 05.27.24): Morono -260, Price +210
Junkie pick results: Morono 9, Price 2
Kevin Holland vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
Records: Holland (25-11 MMA, 12-8 UFC), Oleksiejczuk (19-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC)
Past five: Holland 3-2, Oleksiejczuk 3-2
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 05.31.24): Holland -290, Oleksiejczuk +235
Junkie pick results: Holland 11, Oleksiejczuk 0
Paulo Costa vs. Sean Strickland
Records: Costa (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC), Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC)
Past five: Costa 2-3, Strickland 3-2
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: Strickland No. 2, Costa No. 13
Odds (as of 05.31.24): Costa +210, Strickland -260
Junkie pick results: Strickland 9, Costa 2
Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier
Records: Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC), Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC)
Past five: Makhachev 5-0, Poirier 3-2
Division: Lightweight
Rankings: Makhachev No. 1, No. 2 pound-for-pound; Poirier No. 5
Odds (as of 05.31.24): Makhachev -650, Poirier +470
Junkie pick results: Makhachev 10, Poirier 1
Check out all the main card picks below.
| Makhachev vs. Poirier |
Costa vs. Strickland |
Holland vs. Oleksiejczuk |
Morono vs. Price |
Brown vs. Zaleski dos Santos |
|
|
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 87-46 |
 Makhachev (54%) |
 Strickland (66%) |
 Holland (81%) |
 Morono (71%) |
 (62%) |
|
Mike Bohn @MikeBohn 88-45  |
Makhachev |
Strickland |
Holland |
Morono |
Brown |
|
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 86-47 |
Makhachev |
Strickland |
Holland |
Morono |
Brown |
|
Nolan King @mma_kings 86-47 |
Makhachev |
Strickland |
Holland |
Morono |
 Zaleski dos Santos |
|
Ken Hathaway @1khathaway 86-47 |
Makhachev |
Strickland |
Holland |
Morono |
Brown |
|
Matthew Wells @MrMWells 83-50 |
Makhachev |
 Costa |
Holland |
Morono |
Brown |
|
Matt Erickson @MattE 81-52 |
 Poirier |
Costa |
Holland |
Morono |
Brown |
|
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 80-53 |
Makhachev |
Strickland |
Holland |
 Price |
Brown |
|
Simon Samano @SJSamano 79-54 |
Makhachev |
Strickland |
Holland |
Morono |
Brown |
|
Brian Garcia @thegoze 75-58 |
Makhachev |
Strickland |
Holland |
Price |
Brown |
|
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 73-60 |
Makhachev |
Strickland |
Holland |
Morono |
Brown |
|
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 66-67 |
Makhachev |
Strickland |
Holland |
Morono |
Brown |
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.
