Tag: UFC 302

Tatsuro Taira fills UFC 302 opening, fights Joshua Van

Two of the UFC’s most promising flyweights, Tatsuro Taira and Joshua Van will collide in Newark.

Two of the UFC flyweight division’s most promising rising fighters will collide this June.

With [autotag]Su Mudaerji[/autotag] out of UFC 302, [autotag]Tatsuro Taira[/autotag] has signed on to fight [autotag]Joshua Van[/autotag] at the June 1 event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

The matchup was announced Thursday by Iridium Sports Agency, which manages both fighters.

Taira (15-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) has passed each test he’s had in the promotion with flying colors. With three finishes in five promotional appearances, Japan’s Taira rides high off a TKO victory over Carlos Hernandez in December.

Van (10-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) went 3-0 in his first seven months with the UFC as he accumulated wins over Zhalgas Zhumagulov, Kevin Borjas, and Felipe Bunes. He was scheduled to fight Lucas Rocha in April, but was removed from the card when his opponent withdrew.

With the addition, the UFC 302 lineup includes:

  • Champion Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier ā€“ for lightweight title
  • Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa ā€“ five-round co-main event
  • Roman Dolidze vs. Anthony Hernandez
  • Su Mudaerji vs. Tatsuro Taira
  • Jailton Almeida vs. Alexandr Romanov
  • Joselyne Edwards vs. Ailin Perez
  • Mickey Gall vs. Bassil Hafez
  • Grant Dawson vs. Joe Solecki
  • Jake Matthews vs. Phil Rowe
  • Andre Lima vs. Hyun Sung Park
  • Niko Price vs. Jeremiah Wells
  • Cesar Almeida vs. Roman Kopylov

UFC champion Islam Makhachev not excited by potential Max Holloway matchup ā€“ not yet, at least

UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev doesn’t think it’s the right time to fight Max Holloway.

UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] doesn’t think it’s the right time to fight former featherweight champ [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag].

Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) knocked out Justin Gaethje with a historic last-second finish at UFC 300, eliminating “The Highlight” from the 155-pound title race.

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) defends his title against Dustin Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) in the UFC 302 main event June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. His focus is on Poirier then Arman Tsarukyan, who cemented himself as No. 1 contender by beating Charles Oliveira.

“If he beats a couple more guys in my division, we can fight,” Makhachev said in an interview with the New York Post. “I don’t want to give him chance now because I have some contenders who I have to beat. Now I have Dustin; after we have Arman. I think I have some job in my division; he has job in his division. Maybe if he wins his next fight. Maybe he beats (Ilia) Topuria, and I finish all my two fights, maybe.”

If it were up to Makhachev, he would move up to welterweight to challenge Leon Edwards ā€“ a fight that was offered to him at UFC 300. Makhachev declined as he would have had to prep for the fight while observing Ramadan.

“My dream fight, I have to fight in the next division, 170,” Makhachev said. “I have to fight Leon Edwards. I already gave a chance to fighters at 145. That’s why I need my chance at a second belt. …Honestly, I don’t have any exciting fights, because Dustin has just one-fight win streak.

“And we have Arman, but I already beat this guy. I don’t have some job in my division, in my opinion, honestly. And I think I have a chance. They have to give me the chance for a second belt because I already beat the old guys.”

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For more on the cards, visit MMA Junkieā€™s event hub forĀ UFC 302.

Islam Makhachev’s coach: ‘Biggest threat’ Justin Gaethje no longer in UFC title picture

Javier Mendez believes UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev’s most dangerous opponent is out of the way.

Javier Mendez believes UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag]’s most dangerous opponent is out of the way.

[autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] lined himself up for a title shot after knocking out Dustin Poirier to claim the BMF title at UFC 291. However, he opted to defend his belt against Max Holloway at UFC 300 and was on the receiving end of a last-second knockout.

Now Mendez isn’t sure if Gaethje (25-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) will ever face Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) in a title fight.

“Yeah, to me, the guy out of all the guys that I thought for us stylistically was very dangerous out of all of them, I thought it was Justin Gaethje,” Mendez said on his YouTube channel. “Stylistically because of his wrestling pedigree and his striking is really good, strong.

“It’s all apples and oranges right? Because everybody brings a different skillset, so I thought that he was the biggest threat for us and now he’s probably never going to be in the picture for us going forward. So, no need to talk about him for us as a threat because he’s never going to be there, I think.”

Mendez already had to prep for Gaethje before when Khabib Nurmagomedov defended his title against him. Nurmagomedov submitted him in Round 2 at UFC 254Ā but lost Round 1 on two of the three judges’ scorecards.

Makhachev will defend his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) in the UFC 302 main event June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Waiting in the wings is Arman Tsarukyan, who edged out Charles Oliveira at UFC 300.

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For more on the cards, visit MMA Junkieā€™s event hub forĀ UFC 302.

Michael Chandler: Arman Tsarukyan made a mistake by turning down UFC 302 vs. Islam Makhachev

Michael Chandler disagrees with Arman Tsarukyan turning down Islam Makhachev on short notice.

[autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] disagrees with [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] turning down [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] on short notice.

Tsarukyan defeated Charles Oliveira this past Saturday at UFC 300 to cement himself as No. 1 contender. He was immediately offered a title fight against lightweight champion Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) for UFC 302 on June 1, but Tsarukyan declined due to not having enough time to prepare.

Chandler thinks Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) made a mistake that could cost him down the line.

“Arman just went out there and beat Oliveira, sounds like he’s going to be No. 1 contender next,” Chandler said on “The MMA Hour.” “I also don’t understand why he didn’t take that fight. I would have taken it. Man, this sport moves fast. This sport moves very fast.

“June 1, you’re going to see the lightweight title (fight) happen, and then a couple weeks later, you’re going to see the biggest fight (Chandler vs. McGregor), a fight that’s way bigger than that happen, and both guys can make lightweight. The sport moves fast, so you’ve got to take your opportunities and you’ve got to pounce on them.”

Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) knows it sounds ironic coming from him after a long wait for his fight against Conor McGregor to have a date but insists he wasn’t offered a single fight in the meantime. Chandler will face McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) in a welterweight bout at UFC 303 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) June 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkieā€™s event hub forĀ UFC 302.

UFC 302’s Sean Strickland on Paulo Costa: ‘I’m going to make that dirty Brazilian bleed’

Sean Strickland is ready to bring a war to Paulo Costa at UFC 302.

[autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] is ready to bring a war to [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] at UFC 302.

Former middleweight champion Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) meets Costa (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) in a five-round co-main event June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Strickland, who lost his middleweight title in a close decision loss to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297 in January, aims to rebound in emphatic fashion against Costa.

“You know what, you guys? I like Costa. he’s a funny guy,” Strickland said on his YouTube channel. “He makes me laugh, and he’s pro-free speech. I like that guy. But I’m going to make that dirty Brazilian bleed, and I’m going to do it for Brazil. Brazil doesn’t even like Costa. So hey, Brazil: This one’s for you guys. Let’s get it done.”

Meanwhile, Costa will also look to return to the win column. Despite losing to Robert Whittaker in his past outing at UFC 298, “Borrachinha” put on an exciting performance. He promises to ramp up his aggressiveness against Strickland.

“I just rewatched my fight w Whittaker, I needed to add a little more rhythm and strokes. Maybe that’s why the judges gave it 2×1 in the rounds in his favor. scores. I prioritized the damage factor, leaving him bleeding and bloody in every round even with fewer hits. I’m going to force myself to hit more from now on and keep hurting . Mark my works, I will be a machine hitter in the next šŸ”„šŸ¤ÆšŸ§ƒ.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkieā€™s event hub forĀ UFC 302.

Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 302 co-headliner

Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa will throw down in a pivotal middleweight clash in the UFC 302 co-headliner. Here’s what you need to know.

[autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] and [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] will throw down in a pivotal middleweight clash in the UFC 302 co-main event.

Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa preview

Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC), who dethroned Israel Adesanya to become champion, lost his middleweight title in a close decision to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297 in January ā€“ a fight he thought he won.

Costa (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) will also look to rebound. After outlasting Luke Rockhold in a Fight of the Night war at UFC 278, Costa dropped an entertaining decision to Robert Whittaker at UFC 298 in February.

Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa preliminary odds

According to preliminary odds on FanDuel, former champion Strickland is a sizable -215 favorite, and Costa is a +164 underdog.

How to watch Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa at UFC 302

  • When:Ā Saturday, June 1, 2024
  • Where:Ā Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
  • Streaming:Ā ESPN+ pay-per-view

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkieā€™s event hub forĀ UFC 302.

Michael Bisping explains why Sean Strickland has ‘significant advantage’ vs. Paulo Costa at UFC 302

Michael Bisping gives Sean Strickland the advantage over Paulo Costa at UFC 302.

[autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag] gives former middleweight champion [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] the advantage against [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] at UFC 302.

Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) and Costa (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) meet in a five-round co-main event June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

While Bisping gives Costa a power advantage, he thinks the extra two rounds will heavily benefit Strickland, who’s gone five rounds seven times in his career. Costa, on the other hand, has competed for 25 minutes only once, a unanimous decision loss to Marvin Vettori in a light heavyweight bout.

“That is a crazy fight, OK? Paulo Costa hits harder, I’m telling you right now, Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “I’ve trained with Sean Strickland. He’s got very good boxing, we know that. We saw that when he beat Israel Adesanya, the best performance of his career, almost finished him in the first round, right? He will go out there. He will fight ‘d*ck to d*ck, nipple to nipple, but his style is behind the jab.

“Paulo Costa is going to come forward a lot. I think Paulo Costa hits harder, but I think Sean has an advantage with the cardio. Let’s remember, this is a five-round (co)-main event. That is a significant advantage for Sean Strickland because he has an economic style. Paulo Costa swings with everything he has, spinning wheel kicks, left high kicks that are just so fast and explosive, but they require a lot of energy.”

Strickland will look to rebound from his title loss to Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 297 in January. Costa is coming off an entertaining, back-and-forth decision loss to Robert Whittaker at UFC 298 in February.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkieā€™s event hub forĀ UFC 302.

Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 302 headliner

Islam Makhachev will attempt to make his third title defense against fan-favorite Dustin Poirier at UFC 302. Here’s what you need to know.

[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag]’s pleas for a return to competition were answered with a UFC 302 lightweight title defense against [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] this summer.

Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier preview

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) seeks his third successful title defense and his first against someone not named Alexander Volkanovski. Makhachev rides a 13-fight winning streak into the bout.

Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) will get a rare third shot at UFC gold after two unsuccessful attempts. Poirier’s first title bid was made against Makhachev’s mentor and friend Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2019. He challenged for the title in 2021 and lost to Charles Oliveira. Both defeats were submissions.

Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier preliminary odds

Accord to preliminary odds on FanDuel, the fight is something of a mismatch, with Makhachev listed as a heavy -500 favorite, and Poirier as the +340 underdog.

How to watch Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier at UFC 302

  • When: Saturday, June 1, 2024
  • Where: Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
  • Streaming: ESPN+ pay-per-view

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

Jailton Almeida gets new UFC 302 opponent Alexandr Romanov

With Alexander Volkov off UFC 302, Jailton Almeida now faces Alexandr Romanov in Newark, N.J.

[autotag]Jailton Almeida[/autotag] remains on UFC 302, just against a different opponent than initially expected.

With original opponent Alexander Volkov off the card, Almeida (20-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) now is expected to face [autotag]Alexandr Romanov[/autotag] (17-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) instead.

The bout is targeted for June 1 at Prudential Center. Verbal agreements are in place with bout contracts expected to be issued and signed in the coming days. Ag. Fight was first to report the news.

Volkov (37-10 MMA, 11-4 UFC) was removed by the promotion and slotted into a fight June 22 in Saudi Arabia vs. Sergei Pavlovich (18-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC. However, the status of that bout is unclear.

Almeida, 32, makes a relatively quick turnaround after the first loss of his UFC tenure, a knockout defeat against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 299 in Miami in March. The defeat snapped a 15-fight winning streak that included victories over Derrick Lewis and Jairzinho Rozenstruik among others.

Romanov, 33, hopes to keep his momentum alive after a July decision victory over Blagoy Ivanov. The victory snapped a two-fight skid that consisted of the first two losses of his career.

With the addition, the UFC 302 fight card includes:

  • Roman Dolidze vs. Anthony Hernandez
  • Jailton Almeida vs. Alexandr Romanov
  • Joselyne Edwards vs. Ailin Perez
  • Mickey Gall vs. Bassil Hafez
  • Grant Dawson vs. Joe Solecki
  • Jake Matthews vs. Phil Rowe
  • Andre Lima vs. Hyun Sung Park
  • Niko Price vs. Jeremiah Wells
  • Su Mudaerji vs. Joshua Van
  • Cesar Almeida vs. Roman Kopylov

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

Paulo Costa says Sean Strickland turned down UFC 302 fight; ex-champ alludes to reason why

A fight between Paulo Costa and Sean Strickland at UFC 302 sounds like a good idea, but apparently there’s one issue.

According to [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag], he was offered to fight former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] in June.

Costa (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) said the UFC came to him with the name Strickland for UFC 302 on June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., but Strickland (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) rejected the fight.

“This is great stuff,” Costa said on “The Coach and the Casual podcast. “UFC suggested a fight with (Jared) Cannonier. It’s a nice fight, I love the idea to fight Cannonier, and (UFC suggested that fight) for June. But then two days ago, UFC come back and say, ‘Paulo, you fight Strickland on June 1.’

“It’s a great fight. It’s a fun fight, even (more fun) than Cannonier, I think. Unfortunately I don’t know what happened. Strickland say no, he don’t want to fight me. Strickland, he refused to fight me unfortunately. That’s what UFC told me. I just have this information from UFC. I think this fight would be great. I would love to fight him.”

Strickland didn’t deny that he was offered Costa but suggested on X that he wasn’t in agreement with the pay.

Strickland lost his middleweight title to Dricus Du Plessis in a tightly contested battle at UFC 297 in January. He campaigned for an immediate rematch, but it appears the promotion has other plans.

Costa is coming off an entertaining decision loss to former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 298 in February. Prior to that, he outlasted Luke Rockhold in a Fight of the Night war at UFC 278.

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