UFC 302 took place Saturday, and MMA Junkir provided live play-by-play and official results. UFC 302 (pay-per-view/ESPN/ESPN+) took place at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
In the headliner, lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) defended his title against former interim champ Dustin Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC). In the co-feature, Paulo Costa (14-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) lost to former middleweight champ Sean Strickland (29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC).
Below, you can checkout the live play-by-play and official results for UFC 302.
Andre Lima vs. Mitch Raposo
Round 1 – Leg kicks opens things up here for Lima. Big size difference here between Raposo and Lima. Another big leg kick by Lima. And again! Raposo on the outside and out of range, as Lima picks him apart with leg kicks. Man, these leg kicks from Lima are adding up. Three minutes left. Another leg kick. Lima having his way here, Raposo has yet to land anything big. Again, Lima with a big leg kick. Raposo is getting chewed up. This time, Lima makes Raposo spin with a leg kick. One minute left. Lima continues to pick apart Raposo until the bell. Easy round for Lima.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Lima.
Round 2 – Lima once again walking down Raposo here while landing kicks to the legs and body. Ok, Raposo lands a right hook. Man, these leg kicks from Lima are brutal. Three minutes left. Raposo is not really doing much, just backing up and taking shots. Raposo opening up a little more, but throwing out of range. The fight is briefly stopped, and then it resumes after an eye poke from Lima. Left hook lands for Raposo. Raposo shoots for a takedown, gets Lima to the ground, but Lima jumps right back up. Back to striking. Good body shot by Lima. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Lima.
Round 3 – Lima keeps at it with these leg kicks. Good combo by Raposo. Lima walking down Raposo here. Good body kick by Lima. Raposo upping the pressure a little more in this round, but still falling behind. Good leg kick by Lima. Two minutes left. Another good combo by Raposo, but Lima answers with a leg kick. Hard leg kick, Lima knocks down Raposo! Raposo back up. Raposo tries to get a takedown, but gets pressed against the cage. Raposo breaks free. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Lima. Overall 30-27, Lima.
Result: Andre Lima def. Mitch Raposo via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
Photos: Andre Lima def. Mitch Raposo at UFC 302: Best photos
Records: Lima (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Raposo (9-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Division: Flyweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Herb Dean
Judging: Adrian Castro, Eric Colon 30-27. Dave Tirelli 28-29.
Joselyne Edwards vs. Ailin Perez
Round 1 – Big leg kick by Perez. Perez clinches Edwards and presses her against the cage. Perez lands the takedown. Edwards gets up, but gets immediately taken down again. Edwards hits the reversal! She’s now on half guard. Three minutes left. Oh! Perez gets the reversal, but then Edwards gets another one! They scramble! Perez ends on top! Crazy sequence. Edwards gets back to her feet, but Perez drags her back down. Perez gets mount now, but hen gets pulled back to half guard. Good shots from top by Perez. One minute left. More shots from Perez. Edwards gets a reversal in the final seconds. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Perez.
Round 2 – Nice right hand by Edwards. Perez shoots, gets caught in a guillotine and falls to her back. Edwards now on top in half guard. Shots to the body from Edwards. Edwards now in guard. Good elbow from Perez on bottom. Halfway through the round. More short shots by Edwards. Oh! An illegal headbutt connects for Edwards. The fight is stopped for a little and then resumes. No point taken. Oh! Huge shot by Perez! Edwards gets dropped. Perez lets her back up. Edwards looking for a takedown, but Perez reverses her. She lands on top, but gets reversed by Edwards. Edwards working from guard. The bell rings. Tough round to score.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Perez.
Round 3 – Good body kick by Perez. They clinch and Perez lands a solid right on the break. They clinch and Edwards now has Perez presses against the cage. Big throw by Perez! Edwards gets back up, and they’re back to striking. Halfway through the round. Leg kick by Perez. Edwards is walking down Perez, but neither is throwing much. They trade leg kicks. Good left by Perez. Several leg kicks from Edwards. Perez shoots and lands the takedown. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Perez. Overall 30-27, Perez.
Result: Ailin Perez def. Joselyne Edwards via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)
Photos: Ailin Perez def. Joselyne Edwards at UFC 302: Best photos
Records: Perez (10-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC), Edwards (13-6 MMA, 4-4 UFC)
Division: Women’s bantamweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Gasper Oliver
Judging: Dave Tirelli 30-27. Jon Bilyk, Maimunah Querido 29-28.
Bassil Hafez vs. Mickey Gall
Round 1 – Hafez pressing Gall here. Gall content with staying on the outside. Good leg kicks by Hafez. Big right connects for Hafez! Big combo connects for Hafez! Gall ate those shots well. Good jab by Gall. Three minutes left. Hafez is throwing with heat. Another big shot by Hafez! Gall is bleeding from the bridge of his nose. Two minutes left. Leg kick by Hafez. He’s picking apart Gall. Oh! Gall stuns Hafez with a good combo. The two land and they brawl a little. Hafez taunting Gall. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Hafez.
Round 2 – Big right cracks Gall. Hafez continuing to throw with heat. Oh! One, two by Gall stuns Hafez. Gall finding his timing here. Nice body kick from Gall. Again, Gall connects. Oh! Hafez rocks Gall a bit with a left. Gall backing up here. Three minutes left. Hafez continues to walk down and pressure Gall. Jab to the body by Gall. Big left again for Hafez. Great chin on Gall. Gall shoots for a takedown, gets it, but Hafez jumps right back up to his feet. Back to striking. One minute left. One, two lands clean for Gall! Hafez asks him for more. Hafez scores a takedown, stands over Gall and lands a few leg kicks before the bell. Fun fight.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Hafez.
Round 3 – Hafez still throwing with head. Oh! Good connection here by Gall. Again. One, two by Hafez. Oh! Hafez stuns Gall! And now Gall drops Hafez! What a fight. Gall with the takedown, but Hafez right back up. Big shots from Gall. Now big right by Hafez. Hafez gets the takedown and moves to mount. We’re halfway through the round. Gall gets back to his feet. What a war. Big straight right by Gall. Hafez looks tired. Gall upping the pressure here. Left hook connects for Hafez. One minute left. Gall stuffs a takedown from Hafez. Hafez looks spent. Gall connects! Insane action. Hafez gets the takedown and moves to half guard. Hafez lets Gall back up! They throw down in the final seconds! The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Gall. Overall 29-29, Hafez.
Result: Bassil Hafez def. Mickey Gall via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Photos: Bassil Hafez def. Mickey Gall at UFC 302: Best photos
Records: Hafez (9-4-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC), Gall (7-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: ESPN+
Referee: Jason Herzog
Judging: Jon Bilyk, Adrian Castro 30-27. Maimunah Querido 29-28.
Jake Matthews vs. Phil Rowe
Round 1 – Rowe pressing Matthews here. Both connect with leg kicks. Solid leg kick by Matthews. Both fighters a bit tentative here. Oh! Huge right hand connects for Rowe! A solid one, two by Rowe! Good chin by Matthews, who eats that well. Halfway through the round. Leg kick by Matthews. Matthews is bleeding from his nose. Good connection by Matthews. Jab by Rowe. Matthews starting to land a bit more here. Rowe’s left eye is busted up. Rowe staying calm, picking his shots. Low blow connects on Rowe. Fight is halted. Rowe takes a minute to recover, the fight resumes. Nice combo by Matthews here. Oh! Big right ny Matthews! Rowe slips and Matthews gets on top. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Rowe.
Round 2 – Matthews pressuring here. Matthews much more aggressive. Oh! Big shot by Matthews! Rowe looks hurt. Solid jab by Rowe. Solid fight here. Three minutes left. Body shot by Matthews. Leg kicks by Rowe. Nice one, two by Matthews. Nice right hand by Matthews. Rowe looks to be slowing down. Double jab by Matthews. Good combo by Matthews, who’s doing most of the pressing here. Very competitive fight here. Big left connects for Matthews to close out the round. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Matthews.
Round 3 – Rowe closes the distance, shoots, but Matthews stuffs the takedown and aends on top. Rowe reverses the position. Rowe working from half guard. Short shots land here and there for Rowe, but not much going on. Three minutes left. Matthews reverses Rowe as he looked to get the back of Matthews’. Matthews working from half guard. Two minutes left. Body shots by Matthews. More shots by Matthews. Rowe looks exhausted. Matthews sinks in the arm triangle! Rowe gets out. Good control here by Matthews. One minute left. Complete control by Matthews. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Matthews. Overall 29-28, Matthews.
Result: Jake Matthews def. Phil Rowe via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Photos: Jake Matthews def. Phil Rowe at UFC 302: Best photos
Records: Matthews (20-7 MMA, 13-7 UFC), Rowe (10-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: ESPN2
Referee: Vitor Ribeiro
Judging: Jon Bilyk, Maimunah Querido 29-28. Adrian Castro 30-27.
Grant Dawson vs. Joe Solecki
Round 1 – Dawson comes out with a flying knee, but misses! Solecki clinches him. Solecki goes for the back, fails and ends on bottom. Solecki goes for the guillotine, but Dawson defends well. Solecki going for the guillotine again! It’s tight! They’re scrmabling! Dawson gets out. Dawson now in guard. Three minutes left. Short shots by Dawson. Mianly control here, not much ground-and-pound by Dawson. Two minutes left. Solecki lands an elbow from bottom and badly cuts Dawson. Dawson got a little busy at the end, landed a few shots. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Dawson.
Round 2 – Dawson closes the distance and gets the takedown early. Short elbows by Dawson. Short shots here and there, but not much damage. Solecki unable to get up and Dawson is just controlling him form guard. He’s tried to pass guard a few times, but unable to. Dawson landing some ground-and-pound, but nothing dameging. More shots from Dawson. One minute left. Dawson controls until the bell. The crowd boos.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Dawson.
Round 3 – Low blow from Solecki halts the fight for a second. It resumes. Dawson lands a few shots, shoots, and gets the takedown. The crowd boos. Good control here by Dawson, but little threat to finish the fight. More of the same, just control from Dawson. Two minutes left. Short shots land for Dawson. One minute left. Dawson controls the fight from guard until the bell.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Dawson. Overall 30-27, Dawson.
Result: Grant Dawson def. Joe Solecki via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Photos: Grant Dawson def. Joe Solecki at UFC 302: Best photos
Records: Dawson (21-2-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC), Solecki (13-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: ESPN2
Referee: Jason Herzog
Judging: Dave Tirelli, Sal D’Amato 30-27. Jon Bilyk 29-28.
Jailton Almeida vs. Alexandr Romanov
Round 1 – Almeida clinches Romanov right at the start and gets the takedown. They’re up against the cage. Almeida nos gets the back of Romanov! He goes for the rear-naked choke! Let’s it go. Three minutes left. Almeida gets the rear naked choke again! There’s the tap!
Result: Jailton Almeida def. Alexandr Romanov via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:27
Recap: Jailton Almeida taps Alexandr Romanov with standing rear-naked choke
Photos: Jailton Almeida def. Alexandr Romanov at UFC 302: Best photos
Records: Almeida (21-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC), Romanov (17-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC)
Division: Heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN2
Referee: Vitor Ribeiro
Cesar Almeida vs. Roman Kopylov
Round 1 – Almeida immediately targeting the legs with kicks. Good pressure by Almeida. Jab by both. More leg kicks by Almeida. Left hand connects for Kopylov. Oh! Huge one, two by Kopylov. Almeida eats that like a champ. More leg kicks by Almeida. Kopylov shoots and gets the takedown. We’re halfway through the round. Kopylov lets Almeida back up, but lands a few shots in the process. Almeida pressuring again. Oh! Kopylov drops Almeida! He’s now standing over him. Kopylov lets him back up. Kopylov shoots and gets the takedown. He’s now in side control. One minute left. Kopylov now in guard. He ends the round on top. Solid work by Kopylov.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Kopylov.
Round 2 – Again, Almeida back to pressuing. Good leg kicks by Almeida. Kopylov connects with a right counter. Kopylov shoots, but Almeida stuffs it. Another stuffed takedown by Almeida. However, Kopylov is now pressing Almeida against the cage. Knee to the body by Almeida. Not much going on in the clinch. Almeida escapes and back to striking. Kopylov tries for another takedown and comes up short. Kopylov shoots again and this time gets it! Two minutes left. Good control hereby Kopylov, but little damage. The crowd boos. Short shots land for Kopylov. He ends on top.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Kopylov.
Round 3 – Again, Almeida pressuring right off the bat. One, two lands for Kopylov. Good right by Almeida. Jab by Kopylov. Big right connects for Almeida. Kopylov with the takedown! He’s now in Almeida’s guard. The referee warning Kopylov to work, as the crowd boos. Kopylov landing little shots here and there, but nothing major. Three minutes left. More shots from Kopylov. Almeida looking at the referee for a standup. More warnings from the referee. Two minutes left. The crowd yelling, ‘Stand them up, stand them up.’ The referee stands them up a few feconds into the chants. Good right by Almeida. Kopylov scores another takedown and the crowd boos. One minute left. Almeida pushes off Kopylov, but not for long. Kopylov dives back in the guard. He’s now in side control. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Kopylov. Overall 30-27, Kopylov.
Result: Roman Kopylov def. Cesar Almeida via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Photos: Roman Kopylov def. Cesar Almeida at UFC 302: Best photos
Records: Kopylov (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC), Almeida (5-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: ESPN2
Referee: Herb Dean
Judging: Sal D’Amato 30-27. Eric Colon 29-28. Chris Lee 28-29.
Randy Brown vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
Round 1 – Brown comes out agressive, pressing Zaleski dos Santos. Good defense so far by Zaleski dos Santos. Leg kick by Zaleski dos Santos. Good jab by Brown. Neither has landed anuthing significant here. We’re halfway through the round. Welp, an eye poke by Brown halts the action. The fight resumes a few seconds after. Nice combo by Brown! Zaleski dos Santos goes for the takedown, gets it, but Brown springs back up. Hard leg kick by Zaleski dos Santos. Oh! Nasty knee to the head by Brown as Zaleski dos Santos closed the distance. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Brown.
Round 2 – Oh! Huge shot by Zaleski dos Santos as he closed the distance. He backs Brown against the fence and takes him down! Zaleski dos Santos trying to get the back. Brown gets back to his feet, but being pressed against the cage. Zaleski dos Santos drags him back down. Brown back up, but being held against the cage. Back to the ground. Zaleski dos Santos takes the back. He sinks in the rear-naked choke! It looks tight! Brown escapes, but still has Zaleski dos Santos on his back. One minute left. Brown escapes with 30 seconds left and gets Zaleski dos Santos’ back! The bell rings. Fun round.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Zaleski dos Santos.
Round 3 – One, two and then a leg kick by Zaleski dos Santos. The fight is paused for a few seconds due to an aparent eye poke from Brown. Good jabs by Brown. Zaleski dos Santos is the one pressing here. Leg kick by Zaleski dos Santos. Neither is connecting much here. We’re half way through the round. Oh! Nice knee to the head by Brown. He’s upping the pressure now. Zaleski dos Santos clinches and presses Brown against the cage. He’s looking for the takedown. Zaleski dos Santos is bleeding, looks like from his ear. Pure control here by Zaleski dos Santos, no damage. Brown breaks free with a little less than a minute on the clock. Zaleski dos Santos takes down Brown and gets his back! The bell rings. Close round.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Brown. Overall 29-28, Brown.
Result: Randy Brown def. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Photos: Randy Brown def. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos at UFC 302: Best photos
Records: Brown (19-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC), Zaleski dos Santos (24-8-1 MMA, 10-4-1 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Gasper Oliver
Judging: Eric Colon, Sal D’Amato, Chris Lee 29-28.
Alex Morono vs. Niko Price
Round 1 – Leg kick by Morono. Morono staying very, constantly moving and throwing. Price catches a kick of Morono and takes him down. Price working from guard. He gets caught in some sort of omoplata, but gets out. Morno now on Price’s back. Price spins out and gets top control from guard. We’re halfway through the round. Morno gets up. Both land good shots. Jab by Price. Another jab by Price. Good combo by Morono. Good jabs by Morono. Oh! Solid shots land for Morono. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Morono.
Round 2 – Big straight right by Morono. Leg kick by Price. Another one. Another right connects for Morono. Price is swining heavy and seems to be slowing down a bit. Price doing most of the pressing here, while Moreno counters. Good right again by Morono. Oh! Big shot connects for Price! Price shoots and takes down Morono. Good shots from top by Price. Morno attemps an armbar but Price defends well. Morono tries a guillotine and Price gets out. Price controlling and landing some ground-and-pound from guard. Final minute. Morono gets up and presses Price against the cage. Morono goes for the guillotine, but fails. Price is now on top. Good elbows by Price. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Price.
Round 3 – Morno looks tired. Good right hand by Morono. Price is pressing here. Leg kick by Price. Good hammer fist from Price. Both men have slowed down, but Morono looks more tired. We’re halfway through the round. Fairly uneventful here in the third. Nice uppercut by Price. Price gets a tekdown and is landing some good shots, Morono gets back up. Good left by Price. Morono is spent. Good left by Price. Kick to the body by Price. Final minute. Oh! Huge uppercut by Price! Price is putting it on Morono right now. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Price. Overall 29-28, Price.
Result: Niko Price def. Alex Morono via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Photos:
Records: Price (16-7 MMA, 8-7 UFC), Morono (24-10 MMA, 13-7 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Jeith Peterson
Judging:
Kevin Holland vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
Round 1 – Oleksiejczuk is pressing Holland here and lands a nice left. Good jabs by Holland. Oh! Oleksiejczuk drops Holland with a left! Oleksiejczuk gets on top. Good ground-and-pound by Oleksiejczuk. And Holland gets Oleksiejczuk in an armbar! It looks tight! Oleksiejczuk is haning on. The refree stops the fight. Oleksiejczuk protets the stoppage. It looks like Oleksiejczuk’s arm broke.
Result: Kevin Holland def. Michal Oleksiejczuk via technical submission (armbar) – Round 1, 1:34
Recap: Kevin Holland dropped, but snaps Michal Oleksiejczuk’s arm in first round submission
Photos: Kevin Holland def. Michal Oleksiejczuk at UFC 302: Best photos
Records: Holland (25-11 MMA, 12-8 UFC), Oleksiejczuk (19-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Herb Dean
Paulo Costa vs. Sean Strickland
Round 1 – Big leg kick by Costa. Again. Strickland pressing Costa here in his classic stance. Not much going on here, a lot of feints from both, as Strickland walks down Costa. Three minutes left. jab to the body by Costa. Strickland has thrown several front kicks to the body but CVosta has defended well. Two more hard leg kicks by Costa. One minute left. Oh! Right hand connects by Strickland. Strickland keeps walking down Costa. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Strickland.
Round 2 – Again, Strickland walking down Costa. Leg kick by Costa. Another one. Big leg kick by Costa. Very slow pace here. Jabs to the body by Costa. Strickland with non-stop pressure. The crowd is booing. Very lackluster fight here. Two minutes left. More leg kicks by Costa. Costa tries to clinch and Strickland gets out of the way. Strickland has barely landed here. Oh and a left connects for Strickland. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Costa.
Round 3 – Jabs to the bodyby Costa. And a left hook to the body by Costa. Oh! Nice combo by Strickland. Leg kick by Costa. Oh! Strickland checks a leg kick from Costa and it looks like it hurt Costa. Left hand connects for Strickland. Not a ton happening here. Strickland keeps walking down Costa and landing shots here and there. Very low output from both and Costa having a tough time connecting. Good uppercut by Strickland to end the round.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Strickland.
Round 4 – They trade jabs. Costa swining at Strickland, but having a really tough time landing. Strickland keeping a slow, but steady flow of small shots coming. Costa looks tired. Strickland looks pretty fresh. Right hand connects for Costa. Two minutes left. Jabs by Strickland. Calf kick by Costa. Good body shot by Costa. The fans are booing. One minute left. Leg kick by Costa. Good uppercut by Strickland. Jab by Strickland. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Strickland.
Round 5 – Not a great fight going on right now. Jab by Strickland. More leg kicks from Costa. Body shot by Costa. More little front push kicks from Strickland. Jab by Strickland. The crowd is booing and growing resless. Not a ton going on. Leg kick by Costa. A couple more jabs by Strickland. Costa with a jab. A right hand connects for Strickland! Strickland puts on the pressure in the final 10 seonds. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Strickland. Overall 49-46, Strickland.
Result: Sean Strickland def. Paulo Costa via split decision (46-49, 50-45, 49-46)
Recap: Sean Strickland frustrates Paulo Costa, calls for title shot after being ‘company man’
Photos: Sean Strickland def. Paulo Costa at UFC 302: Best photos
Records: Strickland (29-6 MMA, 16-6 UFC), Costa (14-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Jason Herzog
Judging: Sal D’Amato 49-46. Chris Lee 50-45. Dave Tirelli 46-49.
Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier
Round 1 – Good combo by Makhachev early! He goes for the takedown and and gets it. Makhachev working from half guard. Makhachev working the kimura! They scramble, and Poirier gets out, but Makhachev takes his back. Body triangle by Makhachev. Short shots by Makhachev here and there as he looks for the rear-naked choke. Poirier doing a good job at defending. Makhachev controlling. Makhachev maintains the back control until the bell.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Makhachev.
Round 2 – Poirier takes the center of the cage. Leh kick from Poirier and Makhachev shoots for the takedown. Poirier defends it and the crowd cheers. They briefly clinch and Makhachev lands a nice knee to the head. Makhachev shoots again and Poirier defends! Good left by Makhachev. Jab by Poirier. Jab by Makhachev. One, two by Makhachev. Poirier pressing Makhachev here. Makhachev shoots and presses Poirier against the cage. Two minutes left. Poirier reverses the position against the cage and breaks free. Jabs by Poirier. Body hook by Poirier. Both connect with lefts. Makhachev shoots and gets the takedown with 10 seconds left. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Makhachev.
Round 3 – This is getting interetsing. Good knee to the head by Makhachev and then a right! Makhachev shoots and gets the takedown. He now has the back of Poirier. Makhachev has the body triangle. Poirier is bleeding from his nose. Three minutes left. Makhachev moves to mount now. Poirier scrambles out and back to his feet! Two minutes left. Good combo by Makhachev. Good straight left by Makhachev. Leg kick by Poirier. It looks like Poirier is having issues with his left eye. They both connect in a final exchange. Great round.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Makhachev.
Round 4 – Nice combo to the body by Makhachev. Poirier stops a takedown from Makhachev. And again. A couple of hard hooks land for Makhachev. And a solid left by Makhachev! Makhachev shoots and presses Poirier against the cage. Makhachev working for the takedown, but Poirier defending well. Short shots land for Poirier. Makhachev brings down Poirier to a knee while controlling his back. Makhachev controlling looking to complete the takedown. Swicth by Poirier! Poirier puts Makhachev against the cage. Solid body shots by Poirier. Uppercut by Makhachev and back to striking. Oh! Nasty body shots by Poirier. Makhachev presses Poirier against the cage. Makhachev controlling. Makhachev is bleeding a ton from his forehead it looks like. The bell rings.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9, Makhachev.
Round 5 – They trade shots here early. Big leg kick by Poirier. Makhachev shoots and Poirier defends. He’s doing a great job at defeding takedowns. Good left by Makhachev. Poirier with a body shot. Jab by Poirier. Oh! Jab and a left connect for Poirier! Three minutes left. Makhachev shoots again and Poirier defends. Makhachev gets afront headlock on Poirier. Makhachev working the a D’Arce now. There’s the tap! Makhachev defends his title! What a fight.
Result: Islam Makhachev def. Dustin Poirier via submission (D’Arce choke) – Round 5, 2:42
Recap: Islam Makhachev finishes Dustin Poirier in final round of absolute thriller
Photos: Islam Makhachev def. Dustin Poirier at UFC 302: Best photos
Records: Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC), Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Referee: Keith Peterson