Tag: UFC 302

Dustin Poirier predicts Islam Makhachev fight at UFC 302: ‘I’m going to knock him unconscious’

Dustin Poirier gave a cold prediction for his fight against Islam Makhachev.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] gave a cold prediction for his fight against [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag].

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

Former interim champ Poirier will look to claim undisputed gold for the first time in his career after falling short twice. He envisions a violent finish of Makhachev, whose lone career loss came by knockout.

“I’m going to knock him unconscious and the ref is going to be pulling me off of him,” Poirier told Yahoo Sports.

Makhachev predicted that Poirier jumping the guillotine choke – which he’s failed to secure on numerous occasions, will be his downfall. Poirier joked that he has to try at least once, but explained that it’s a submission he’s had plenty of success with during practice.

“Crushing it dude, yes,” Poirier said. “That’s why I’m so surprised and blown away that I have 50 fights and I’ve never finished one with a guillotine – crazy.”

Poirier’s head coach, Mike Brown, heavily advised Poirier against jumping for the guillotine choke in his most recent fight against Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299, but Poirier tried multiple times anyway. Although he failed, he was able to knock out Saint Denis in Round 2.

“‘Don’t give up position’: That’s the record on repeat,” Poirier said of Brown’s advice. “Don’t go for it even if you think it’s good, tight or you have a good feel for it. Don’t give up position, especially with a guy like Islam you know.

“You give up position, you might be trying to get back to your feet for the rest of the round and losing a round or putting yourself in deeper water and getting into a worse, a dangerous position. So we’ll see. I just have to play it and see how I feel in there in those positions. But I’ll probably jump it.”

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

UFC free fight: Dustin Poirier stops Benoit Saint-Denis in vintage, savage performance

Watch Dustin Poirier put the lights out on Benoit Saint-Denis in his bounce back victory at UFC 299.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] turned back the clock big time in his last outing.

The long-time UFC lightweight contender put up up-and-comer Benoit Saint-Denis in brutal fashion earlier this year in the co-main event of UFC 299 in Miami. Poirier, who was coming off a knockout loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2023, got the much-needed win, dropping Saint-Denis with a right hook and then finishing with ground-and-pound.

Watch Poirier’s stoppage win in the video above.

Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) returns to the octagon on to challenge UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) in the main event of UFC 302 on June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

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

Anthony Smith: Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier ‘much closer than a lot of people are giving it credit for’

Anthony Smith thinks Islam Makhachev’s style could lead to openings for Dustin Poirier.

[autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] thinks Islam Makhachev’s style could lead to openings for [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag].

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

Poirier will attempt to win undisputed gold for a third time after submission losses to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 and Charles Oliveira at UFC 269. Although Makhachev is a heavy favorite over Poirier, Smith doesn’t necessarily see their fight resembling Poirier’s loss to Nurmagomedov.

“I love the matchup,” Smith told ESPN. “I don’t know that it’s as cookie cutter as maybe everyone wants to make it seem because there was the Khabib fight with Dustin Poirier. Islam is more willing to engage in more areas than Khabib was. Across the board, I think that Islam is a better fighter (than Poirier), but I think his style gives Dustin Poirier more opportunities to be successful.

“If DP can land something big early and get Islam to back off a little bit – they’re different types of wrestlers, in terms of Islam and Khabib. They’re different types of strikers. Dustin is very, very dangerous on his feet, and Islam has already acknowledged that. He’s cracking jokes, ‘He’s not going to get that guillotine.’ I think this fight is much closer than a lot of people are giving it credit for.”

Former interim champion Poirier earned a title shot after knocking out Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299 in March. He was awarded the shot after Arman Tsarukyan opted not to make aa quick turnaround after beating Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 in April.

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

Mitch Raposo steps into UFC 302 for debut vs. Andre Lima

Top prospect Mitch Raposo has signed with the UFC and will debut June 1 in Newark, N.J. at UFC 302.

[autotag]Mitch Raposo[/autotag] can now call himself a UFC fighter.

On less than two weeks notice, Raposo (9-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will step in opposite [autotag]Andre Lima[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at UFC 302, which takes place June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Raposo replaces [autotag]Nyamjargal Tumendemberel[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who withdrew from the fight due to visa issues.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Raposo, 25, is “The Ultimate Fighter 29” alumnus who also appeared on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021. Raposo dropped his DWCS bout to Jake Hadley by unanimous decision, but regained momentum once he revisited the regional scene with four wins, four finishes, and two title clinches for CES MMA and Cage Titans.

Lima, 25, was quickly rebooked after a victorious and bizarre promotional debut in March during which his opponent Igor Severino bit him and was disqualified. Severino was cut from the UFC as a result and later apologized. Lima tattooed the bite mark on his arm hours after the fight, but also advocated Severino should get a second chance.

With the change, the UFC 302 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier – for lightweight title
  • Paulo Costa vs. Sean Strickland
  • Kevin Holland vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
  • Jailton Almeida vs. Alexandr Romanov
  • Cesar Almeida vs. Roman Kopylov

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Randy Brown vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
  • Grant Dawson vs. Joe Solecki
  • Alex Morono vs. Niko Price
  • Jake Matthews vs. Phil Rowe

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN2/ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Joselyne Edwards vs. Ailin Perez
  • Mickey Gall vs. Bassil Hafez
  • Andre Lima vs. Mitch Raposo

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

UFC free fight: Islam Makhachev submits Charles Oliveira to crown himself UFC lightweight champion

Watch Islam Makhachev’s submission win over Charles Oliveira to become UFC lightweight champion back in 2022.

[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] sure made a statement in his first UFC championship fight.

Makhachev not only defeated a streaking and dangerous Charles Oliveira to win the UFC lightweight title, but submitted the jiu-jitsu standout. Makhachev dominated Oliveira and then submitted him in the second round of their main event bout at UFC 280 back in October 2022.

You can watch Makhachev’s impressive win in the video above.

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) returns to the octagon to defend his lightweight title against veteran Dustin Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) in the main event of UFC 302. The card goes down on June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

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

Islam Makhachev’s coach: Arman Tsarukyan passing up title shot ‘right call from him’

Javier Mendez agrees with Arman Tsarukyan’s decision to not fight Islam Makhachev on short notice.

[autotag]Javier Mendez[/autotag] agrees with [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag]’s decision to not fight [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] on short notice.

Tsarukyan defeated former champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 300. He was offered a title shot against lightweight champion Makhachev on less than two-months notice at UFC 302 on June 1, but turned down the opportunity due to the lack of time to prepare.

Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) lost a back-and-forth battle to Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) in his UFC debut. Makhachev’s coach Mendez thinks Tsarukyan was right to decline a quick turnaround.

“From people that I know with him, they said that, yeah, he’s just said he wouldn’t be ready for that type of fight just yet,” Mendez told Submission Radio. “You know, he might have more time to prepare. And you know what? That’s the right call from him. It’s like, he’s in the driver’s seat, also, so why would he risk his chance?

“Why not go properly prepared for the opportunity that he presented himself by having a victory over Oliveira? So no, I think it’s true, and I think he did the right thing by what he needs to do for what he wants. Had it been anybody else, I don’t know what they would have done. I think someone like Max Holloway, if he was put in that situation, he probably would have been one of the few guys that would have said, ‘I’m in.'”

Instead, Makhachev will defend his title against Dustin Poirier at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. If Makhachev gets passed “The Diamond,” Mendez expects Tsarukyan to be next, but wouldn’t be surprised if he wasn’t.

“I think Arman is going to be more than likely the guy, I’m thinking,” Mendez said. “Who knows. But if everything goes according to what they would probably want, we’re OK with Arman. We’re OK with Max. Whatever the UFC offers, Islam’s going to take it. I’m sure it’s not his preferable choice.

“If he asks Islam what he wants after this one, he’d want to go for the welterweight title because he wants to repeat what other people rarely do: become a two-(division) champion. So that’s what he would want – I’m pretty sure about that. But it’s a matter of whether the UFC wants to give him that opportunity right now. I think at some point, they will.”

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

Justin Gaethje: Dustin Poirier has ‘done so much in this sport,’ can’t complain whenever he gets UFC title shot

Justin Gaethje has no bitterness whatsoever towards Dustin Poirier for getting the next title shot.

[autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] has no bitterness whatsoever towards [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] for getting the next title shot.

Gaethje (25-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) knocked out Poirier last July at UFC 291 to position himself as No. 1 contender, but opted to take another fight over waiting. He was knocked out by Max Holloway at UFC 300 in April. On the same night, Arman Tsarukyan defeated Charles Oliveira.

Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) took out Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299 in March, and wound up getting the next title shot after Tsarukyan couldn’t make a quick turnaround. “The Diamond” challenges lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) in the UFC 302 headliner June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

“I think under the circumstances, he deserves it,” Gaethje said on Poirier in an interview with Title Sports Network. “The two contenders that came, Max Holloway and Arman Tsarukyan both just fought.

“Tsarukyan wasn’t (willing to turn around quickly, so) Poirier is the next best option. He’s done so much in this sport that you can’t really ever complain when he gets a title shot.”

Both Gaethje and Poirier were submitted by Makhachev’s mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov in title fights. While “The Highlight” doesn’t view Makhachev and Nurmagomedov’s styles as identical, he says cardio will be key for Poirier.

“Well, we’ve both been in there with Khabib already, so we have an idea,” Gaethje said. “They’re obviously not the same fighter. They don’t fight the same styles. But they are both really heavy grappling. You’ve really just got to trust in your ability to grapple for the whole fight.

“If your cardio is there and you know you can survive those attacks, then eventually you’re going to get back to the feet and be able to cause damage if you’re in good enough shape.”

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

Islam Makhachev: Khabib Nurmagomedov happy, but misses fighting

Islam Makhachev says Khabib Nurmagomedov is still very entrenched in the fight game.

[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] says [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] is still very entrenched in the fight game.

Nurmagomedov retired as an undefeated UFC lightweight champion and has since passed the torch onto Makhachev, who has lived up to the potential by becoming 155-pound champ himself.

Nurmagomedov insists he will never fight again, but Makhachev admits that Nurmagomedov still loves the game.

“I think he’s happy, but this guy misses fighting, fight camp,” Makhachev said on Shadow Lion’s “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo. “That’s why he joins us everywhere. He loves to train – every day, he trains.

“Not just when he’s with us, everyday this guy’s training. He has a house in the village, a house in the city. Both houses have a sauna, very good gym, swimming pool. This guy is training everyday.”

Makhachev says Nurmagomedov currently weighs over 200 pounds, making him even harder to deal with as a training partner.

“It’s not a secret, Khabib has like the worst style for everybody,” Makhachev said. “If he takes you down, he takes all your energy, all your power because he’s very heavy on top.

“I don’t have the same skills because always when I’m on top, I’m looking for choke, to do something, but this guy has crazy control, he holds you. Now, he has crazy power because he’s big and he holds you and you say, ‘Hey, get out.'”

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) defends his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier in the UFC 302 main event June 1. Makhachev’s mentor Nurmagomedov submitted Poirier in Round 3 of their title fight at UFC 242.

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

Islam Makhachev certainly open to fight Conor McGregor after UFC 302: ‘People have to be stupid to say no’

UFC champ Islam Makhachev is willing to abide by the old adage that if it makes dollars it makes sense when considering a fight with Conor McGregor.

If the stars align accordingly, [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] has no problem fighting [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]. In fact, the UFC lightweight champion believes he’d be a fool not to.

In order for that to happen, though, each man has first orders of business to take care of, starting with Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC), who defends his 155-pound title against Dustin Poirier in the UFC 302 main event June 1. Four weeks later, McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) makes his highly anticipated return to the octagon against former Bellator champion Michael Chandler in the UFC 303 headliner June 29.

Even though, as of this moment, McGregor hasn’t won a fight in more than four years, hasn’t won a lightweight bout since his title victory almost eight years ago and is nowhere to be found in the official UFC rankings, Makhachev is willing to abide by the old adage that if it makes dollars it makes sense.

Fighting the UFC’s biggest star for a likely gigantic payday? That’s a no-brainer for the champ.

“People have to be stupid to say no,” Makhachev said on Shadow Lion’s “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo. “Of course I will fight with him.”

Makhachev indicated that his next fight after UFC 303 would likely take place in October (in Abu Dhabi) or November, but for a McGregor showdown, he’d be willing to be available in August or September.

While not so easy to sell based on merit, a fight between Makhachev and McGregor would be easy to sell from a storyline standpoint given McGregor’s history with Makhachev trainer and UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov. Years of bad blood culminated with Nurmagomedov submitting McGregor in October 2019 at UFC 229 – the highest-selling pay-per-view in the promotion’s history – and then jumping the cage to attack McGregor’s corner after his victory.

From Makhachev’s standpoint, he also believes he’d have no trouble with McGregor in the cage.

“Brother, easy. This guy not same,” Makhachev said. “I don’t want to, like, make him look bad, but everybody know this guy not same. Before, yeah, for sure. When he was fighting with Khabib, he was in a good shape. He (was) a high-level fighter. But right now, too much alcohol, too much whiskey.”

For Makhachev, that’s easy money.

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Sean Strickland says Paulo Costa yet to sign UFC 302 contract: ‘You’re being a weak f*cking man’

Is the UFC 302 co-main event in jeopardy? Sean Strickland reveals what he’s hearing about Paulo Costa.

Could the UFC 302 co-main event be in jeopardy?

A little over two weeks before the June 1 event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] says he’s heard opponent [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] may not have yet committed to the bout.

In a video posted Wednesday entitled “Is Costa out?,” Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) said he’s heard Costa (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) has yet to sign the fight contract. He then targeted Costa with several verbal attacks and expletives in an effort to entice “Borrachinha” to put his name on the dotted line.

“Goddamn, Costa. I’ve heard you’ve yet to sign that contract,” Strickland said. “I’ll tell you what, man. I didn’t f*cking believe it. I did not think you’d react like a coward. I thought you would man up, sack up. Instead, you’re acting like you’ve got f*cking ovaries. I went onto Google. I did the right things, gave you the benefit of the doubt. I went onto Google and I noticed something, man. After you fought Izzy, you went down hill. You went on that f*cking deep end, my man. I don’t know what f*cking happened in that little f*cking pea brain you have.

“Do we need to get someone for you to talk to, my man? Do we need to sit you down and have you talk about your f*cking feelings? I think therapy is for weak men. Let me tell you something, dude. You’re being a weak f*cking man. If you can’t sack up and make this sh*t happen, we’ll get someone for you to talk to. Don’t disappoint me. Don’t disappoint the fans. Let me make you f*cking bleed.”

Costa nor the UFC have commented on the matter publicly.

A five-round fight, Strickland vs. Costa was announced by UFC CEO Dana White following UFC 300 on April 13. The two fighters engaged in back-and-forth on social media in the weeks surrounding that announcement but between insults acknowledged underlying respect for one another.

As of story publication, the UFC and Prudential Center websites still have the fight listed.

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