UFC 302 – Page 16 – Syndication Server

Video: UFC 302 ‘Countdown’ for Paulo Costa vs. Sean Strickland

Check out the UFC 302 “Countdown” co-main event video preview for Paulo Costa vs. Sean Strickland.

Did you miss the debut of UFC 302 “Countdown” or just want to watch it again? Check out the co-main event preview now.

The segment takes a special look at the fight between [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) and former middleweight champion [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC).

UFC 302 (pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. “Countdown” goes behind the scenes with the two fighters, and you can watch the full segment above. And don’t miss the entire episode in the video below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Javier Mendez: Islam Makhachev ‘can do whatever he wants’ against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302

Javier Mendez is confident Islam Makhachev doesn’t have to wrestle Dustin Poirier and can beat him in the striking at UFC 302.

Many are seeing the upcoming lightweight title fight between [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] and [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] as a repeat of Poirier’s 2019 failed attempt to win the belt against Khabib Nurmagomedov. However, [autotag]Javier Mendez[/autotag], head coach of Makhachev and Nurmagomedov, thinks that analysis is totally wrong.

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) looks to make his third title defense against Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) on June 1 in the main event of UFC 302. Although Makhachev’s team is familiar with Poirier, Mendez sees this as a different matchup.

“No, this is going to be a lot different because Islam is not Khabib,” Mendez told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “They’re two different fighters, and they don’t work the same. The only thing they do the same is the discipline. They both work hard, but their style is different.

“Khabib was more ground-oriented, but that’s what we wanted. We’d always tell him, ‘Take the fight to the ground, take the fight to the ground. Father’s plan, father’s plan.’ … With Islam, he’s training all the styles; Muay Thai and boxing with other instructors in Dagestan. Khabib never did, he only trained with me. That’s why Islam evolved so much in the striking. Islam can fight however he wants, Khabib we would tell him to wrestle because no one in the world could deal with it, and we knew it.

“Islam has it all. How he wants to win, when he wants to win, where he wants to win, it’s up to him. We can take the fight anywhere we want. That’s the difference between Islam and Khabib. Khabib’s No. 1 thing was wrestling, but Islam can do whatever he wants.”

Many have suggested that Makhachev’s path to victory is to wrestle against Poirier like Nurmagomedov did in his 2019 title defense. Poirier is a dangerous striker, but Mendez is confident that Makhachev can not only hang with Poirier on the feet but also beat him at his own game.

“Look what happened against Volkanovslki, he beat him in the striking,” Mendez said. “If people think that Islam can only win by taking the fight to the ground, they are wrong. That’s not how it has to happen. Islam can do whatever he wants. Now, I’m not going to tell you what we have planned for the fight, but I can tell you Islam can do whatever he wants. Striking or ground game, we can do it all.”

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For more on the cards, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

UFC 302 video: Coach Sayif Saud’s in-depth breakdown of Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier

Coach Sayif Saud delivers another breakdown masterpiece ahead of the Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier lightweight title fight at UFC 302.

Will [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] continue his reign of terror? Does [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] have one more spectacular win in him on the biggest stage? These will be the deciding questions in the UFC 302 main event.

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) will attempt to record a record-tying third consecutive lightweight title defense when he puts it up for grabs against Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC), who will have his third try at undisputed gold, in the headlining act of the June 1 card at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).

Given Makhachev is currently No. 2 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie pound-for-pound rankings and riding a 13-fight winning streak inside the octagon, it’s going to take a major effort from No. 4-ranked lightweight Poirier to capture the belt in what he deems as his final chance.

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Will the fight be one-way traffic given Makhachev’s overwhelming skillset? Or does Poirier have paths to pull off the biggest triumph of his storied career?

Fortis MMA head coach [autotag]Sayif Saud[/autotag] looked at the 155-pound title matchup from both sides in the latest edition of “UFC Breakdown,” with co-host and UFC play-by-plan man Brendan Fitzgerald.

Check out the video above for plenty of detailed analysis from Sayif ahead of Makhachev vs. Poirier at UFC 302.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Khabib Nurmagomedov: Islam Makhachev has ‘clearly developed plan’ to finish Dustin Poirier by Round 3 at UFC 302

Khabib Nurmagomedov expects Islam Makhachev to defend his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier in convincing fashion at UFC 302.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] expects [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] to defend his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier in convincing fashion at UFC 302.

Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC), a retired former 155-pound titleholder and a primary coach for Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC), has been diligently preparing his athlete to face a previous opponent of his own in Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) on Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).

Poirier comes into the fight as a sizeable underdog against Makhachev, who is No. 2 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie pound-for-pound rankings. His chances are being dismissed by many, but given his past experience with “The Diamond,” Nurmagomedov is not among that group.

“Many people underestimate Dustin Poirier,” Nurmagomedov said on his YouTube channel. “I personally fought him, spent three rounds and over 10 minutes with him, and I have a good sense of his strengths and weaknesses. We are working hard on these aspects.

“Dustin Poirier is very experienced. He’s been in many battles already. Yes, he has lost, but he also has many victories in the UFC, more than 22 or 23 wins. Using our slang, he is a seasoned warrior. You can’t take him lightly.”

Nurmagomedov defeated Poirier by third-round submission when they fought at UFC 242 in September 2019. That was Poirier’s first chance at an undisputed UFC title, and he lost the same way in his second bid at a belt against Charles Oliveira at UFC 269 in December 2021.

Poirier, 35, has openly admitted to being aware this is almost certainly his final chance at an undisputed championship. That likely means he’s going to put it all on the line inside the cage, so Makhachev, 32, must be ultra-cautious. His team understands this, and Nurmagomedov said that so long as Makhachev follows the prepared strategy from training camp, he will leave with a third consecutive defense of his belt.

“We have great respect for Dustin, but on June 1, he is our opponent,” Nurmagomedov said. “We have a clearly developed plan for the fight, and I believe Islam will follow it. I really hope that Islam will finish him off in the second or third round.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

UFC 302’s Jailton Almeida ‘sad’ he fumbled Tom Aspinall interim title shot with loss to Curtis Blaydes

Jailton Almeida can’t help but think of the what-ifs now that the UFC heavyweight title picture is taking form.

[autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag] can’t help but think of the what-ifs now that the UFC heavyweight title picture is taking form for the second half of 2024.

Almeida (19-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) returns to the octagon UFC 302 on June 1 when he takes on Alexandr Romanov (17-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in a main card bout at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+). The Brazilian will attempt to get back on track following his first octagon defeat, which came against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 299 in March.

With heavyweight champion Jon Jones recovering from injury and expected to return vs. Stipe Miocic on Nov. 9 in New York, interim champion Tom Aspinall has been booked to defend against Blaydes at UFC 304 on June 27 in Manchester, England.

That would’ve likely been Almeida’s spot had he beat Blaydes, and he admits it makes the result all the more painful.

“I felt a bit surprised and sad,” Almeida told MMA Junkie through an interpreter. “I definitely felt this was my great opportunity to fight against Aspinall. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. It left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Once I learned it wasn’t going to be against me, I knew I missed my chance. But I also know God’s timing is perfect, and I will have my chance in the future.”

Almeida’s disappointment is understandable. After starting his UFC tenure with seven straight wins and six finishes, he got a huge opportunity against a perennial contender in Blaydes. Almeida, 32, came out on fire, landing nine takedowns and controlling Blaydes for all but 21 seconds of the five-minute opening round, per UFC Stats.

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Blaydes found an answer in the second round, though, because he stuffed Almeida’s first takedown attempt and then landed a slew of hammerfists for the knockout.

It was an important lesson for Almeida, he said, but one he thinks he’s now fully learned. That’s why, in his mind, what happened with Blaydes isn’t a true defeat.

“I don’t really consider it a loss, even though it’s a loss on paper,” Almeida said. “That’s what I think. I do believe I needed a better strategy. I felt I had a good fight. I was able to get in big hits, but I do believe my strategy in general had to change. A true champion needs to lose to be able to adapt and get better. I’m only taking this loss to be able to improve.

“I think I did a really good fight. I hit him a lot with a lot of lefts. The beginning of the fight was pretty much perfect, but right at the end, I felt like I should’ve been more cautious. I was overexcited about the momentum. I felt I should’ve been more patient. I just went all-in, and I should waited more.”

Almeida, No. 10 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie heavyweight rankings, will have the chance to show his improvements against No. 14-ranked Romanov at UFC 304. Romanov has landed at least one takedown against six of his seven UFC opponents so far, and could be a threat to Almeida’s grappling.

The focus going into fight night isn’t much on the opponent, though. Almeida is determined to overcome his setback and get through Romanov to put himself back on track to get marquee opportunities in the division.

“After the loss I feel strong, I feel happy, I feel confident,” Almeida said. “I’ve really taken the time to understand my faults. So I feel stronger than ever. Especially after the Curtis vs. Aspinall fight was announced, this is serving as an extra motivation for me because I want to fight Aspinall in the future, and I also would like to come back and fight with Curtis once again. I’m looking for revenge, and I know the first step is to have a victory on June 1.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Arman Tsarukyan: Islam Makhachev must take Dustin Poirier down right away or ‘it’s going to be dangerous’

Arman Tsarukyan is warning Islam Makhachev that he needs to realize success with his wrestling early against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302.

[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] is warning UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] that he needs to realize success with his wrestling early vs. [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag].

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) defends his title against Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) in the UFC 302 main event June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Makhachev has proven that he’s not just a grappler – most recently when he knocked out former featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski with a head kick at UFC 294. However, Tsarukyan thinks it would be a mistake if Makhachev engaged in the striking with his American Top Team teammate.

“I see Islam is going to try and push him to the cage, to take him down and try to hold him, submit him,” Tsarukyan told the New York Post. “But if he can’t do that, it’s going to be dangerous. If he wants to box him, I think Dustin Poirier on a different level.

“His punch, his speed, he can knock him out very fast. That’s why Islam’s got to try to take him down right away. For me, the favorite is Islam on this fight, but like I can put money on Dustin Poirier KO, because it could happen.”

Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) defeated former champ Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 in April but passed up on the short-notice opportunity to challenge Makhachev less than two months later. Poirier was awarded the title shot instead, but Tsarukyan expects the UFC to do right by him and give him the winner.

“I’m going to wait for my title fight,” Tsarukyan said. “I know UFC is going to give me that chance because they’re not bullsh*t. They’re going to do real fight.”

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For more on the cards, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Conor McGregor predicts Dustin Poirier knocks out Islam Makhachev at UFC 302

Conor McGregor sees Dustin Poirier catching Islam Makhachev and finishing him to claim lightweight gold at UFC 302.

[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] sees [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] catching lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] and finishing him at UFC 302.

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) will look to notch his third consecutive title defense when he meets Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) in the June 1 headliner at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+).

McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) and Poirier have fought three times before, with McGregor winning the first meeting by TKO in September 2014, Poirier avenging the loss with a knockout of his own in the rematch in January 2021, and their trilogy bout ending in doctor’s stoppage TKO after McGregor broke his leg at the end of Round 1 in July 2021.

Makhachev’s lone career loss came by knockout at the hands of Adriano Martins in just his second octagon appearance at UFC 192 in October 2015, and McGregor envisions a similar fate against “The Diamond.”

“I think Dustin does him, knocks him out,” McGregor said on a live stream with Duelbits (h/t Championship Rounds on X). “I think the things that Makhachev does wrong, the things he’s not good at, he fumbles over his feet usually early on and falls into shots. He’s been knocked out by a back check hook from a southpaw before inside the UFC, and that’s one of Dustin’s best shots. If Dustin’s ever going to do it, it’ll be this time.

“Obviously Dustin does his things bad also that feed into Makhachev’s strengths. So, it’s going to be a good fight to see which one shows up, but it’s all to play for. There is no clear favorite in it. If you look at Dustin’s last fight, he was getting manhandled by Benoit Saint Denis and he stayed with it, and then got back to his feet, stayed with it and landed a shot. That’s great experience to be going into this bout. If there’s ever a chance for him to get it done, this will be it.”

Up 2-1 in his series with McGregor, Poirier ruled out a fourth fight with “The Notorious.” Makhachev, on the other hand, thinks he’d be silly not to take a fight with McGregor.

McGregor, who returns in a welterweight bout against Michael Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) on June 29 at UFC 303 in Las Vegas (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+), says he has no horse in the race since both fights interest him.

“Who do I wish for, who would I like to see (win)? You know, either or,” McGregor said. “I have history with both, and let’s see how it goes.”

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For more on the cards, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Bassil Hafez eager to ‘beat the sh*t out of’ Mickey Gall at UFC 302, show he’s better than debut loss

Bassil Hafez thinks Mickey Gall has been given the “easy” path in his MMA career, and is fuelled by that going into UFC 302.

[autotag]Bassil Hafez[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Mickey Gall[/autotag] has been given the “easy” path in his MMA career, and admits that fuels him with motivation going into their UFC 302 matchup.

Hafez (8-4-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) will take on Gall (7-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC) in a welterweight bout on the June 1 card at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN). It will be Hafez’s sophomore appearance with the promotion after he pushed title contender Jack Della Maddalena to a split decision loss in his short-notice debut at UFC on ESPN 49 in July.

The contrasts between Hafez and Gall’s path to the octagon is stark. They made their professional debuts less than two months apart from one another, but it only took Gall one fight to make the UFC as he put himself in the infamous CM Punk sweepstakes in 2016 when the professional wrestling star transitioned to MMA.

Gall has been fighting in the UFC ever since, while Hafez competed 12 times before getting the call for a short-notice opportunity.

“He’s personally someone I really want to beat the sh*t out of,” Hafez told MMA Junkie Radio. “I’m a little bit – not envious – but his path was a lot easier. My path was a lot harder. He’s a tough fighter. Everyone in the UFC is a tough fighter. But there’s going to be guys that are easier than others to face. I just faced who I think is the best, if not one of the best fighters in my division. That’s a feather in my cap that he couldn’t knock me out. It gives me confidence to go in there and really be ready for battle.

“Whether it’s on the ground, whether it’s wrestling or striking – I’m excited to test myself against Mickey and show that I’m the much better fighter than him, and I deserve to be there more than him. That’s my goal is to make it unanimous. Make it a dominant victory.”

Hafez, 32, proved he’s UFC caliber in his debut when he surpassed expectations by nearly beating Della Maddalena, who is No. 7 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie welterweight rankings. With a full camp and added confidence under his belt, he promised his performance will be “night and day” from the first time around.

He thinks the matchup with Gall is well suited to him, too, mainly because it’s not the first time they’ve met in a competitive setting.

Hafez said he defeated Gall in a grappling match more than a decade ago, and he intends to do it again in MMA.

“I don’t really look at him as a tricky fighter,” Hafez said. “I look at him as a fighter with a lot of holes in his game that I’m looking to expose. Overall, he has good grappling. I think his wrestling is OK. His striking is OK. I actually beat him in a Grappler’s Quest bout about 11 years ago for the Absolute Championship belt. I got the picture of me with belt and him standing there in second place sulking. So I feel much more confident in my grappling versus his. I feel that I’m better than him everywhere.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Dustin Poirier fine without fourth Conor McGregor fight: ‘I don’t need that bad energy in my life’

Dustin Poirier is ruling out the possibility of a fourth fight with Conor McGregor.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] is ruling out the possibility of a fourth fight with [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag].

Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) is up 2-1 against McGregor – getting stopped in their first fight at featherweight in 2014, then scoring TKO wins in their next two lightweight bouts at UFC 257 and UFC 264.

However, with their trilogy in July 2021 ending by doctor’s stoppage TKO due to McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) breaking his leg in the final seconds of Round 1, “The Notorious” has declared that their rivalry isn’t over.

Poirier does not feel the same way.

“I think that ship has sailed,” Poirier told ESPN. “All I want is the UFC lightweight championship.”

Poirierm who’s come up short in two previous title attempts, will challenge lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) in the UFC 302 main event June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

McGregor returns for the first time since breaking his leg against Poirier when he takes on Michael Chandler in the UFC 303 headliner June 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

While many fighters are calling out McGregor, Poirier remains focused on capturing gold. UFC 264 ended with an injured McGregor hurling insults at Poirier’s wife, but “The Diamond” is not interested in reigniting their history.

“I don’t feel the need to fight him again at all,” Poirier said. “I don’t need that (bad) energy in my life.”

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For more on the cards, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Video: Dustin Poirier, the Bud Light Genie and an alien walk into a bar …

Ahead of UFC 302, one of the headliners is getting a push from a blue chip sponsor.

Ahead of UFC 302, one of the headliners is getting a push from a blue chip sponsor.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC), who challenges lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) for the title next week, stars in a new commercial for Bud Light, which is the UFC’s official beer sponsor.

In “The Walkout” 30-second ad spot, a group of friends in a bar asks the Bud Light Genie to grant them wishes. One man becomes tall. One gets an alien to join the party. And a third woman asks for Poirier to hang out with them.

After a flash of light and a little rip/bleed/demon/potato bug (hi, Patton), Poirier appears at the bar ready for a big night. The group joins him when he walks out of the tunnel in a packed arena to watch the fights from the Anthony Kiedis seats.

To go along with the spot, fans can enter a giveaway to win a trip to UFC 302, where the winner and a guest will not only be on stage with Poirier at the ceremonial weigh-ins at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., next Friday, but will walk out with Poirier and his team for the UFC 302 main event June 1. Front-row seats with the Bud Light Genie and other perks come with the prize package. Fans north of 21 can enter the giveaway through Bud Light’s Instagram and Facebook pages.

“I’m stoked to have Bud Light back in my corner so we can give one lucky fan a once-in-a-lifetime UFC experience,” Poirier said in a news release. “With incredible front-row seats alongside the Bud Light Genie and epic access before and after the fight, we’re making it easy to enjoy UFC 302 all weekend long.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.