UFC 302 Preview: Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier, Strickland vs. Costa

Fight week for UFC 302 has finally arrived.

(Zuffa LLC)

UFC 302 finally goes down in Newark, NJ this Saturday night, and the card features a tremendous lightweight title bout to close out what should be a fantastic night of action-packed fights.

UFC 302: Makhachev vs. Poirier Start Time, Date, Betting Odds, and Full Card

The Main Event

The main event for UFC 302 will see Islam Makhachev attempt to defend his lightweight belt for the third time when he meets former interim titleholder Dustin Poirier.

Showed just why he's the number 1 P4P his last time out 😤@MAKHACHEVMMA puts his lightweight title on the line again Saturday night at #UFC302 pic.twitter.com/5pal8YwxXf

— UFC (@ufc) May 28, 2024

This will be the third time that Poirier has challenged for the UFC’s undisputed lightweight title after failed bids against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira. “The Diamond” is tasked with handing Makhachev just the second loss of his career, and although Poirier is currently a heavy underdog there are plenty of fans hoping to see him score a major upset on Saturday night.

There's never a shortage of excitement when @DustinPoirier is in that Octagon 🤩

The Diamond looks to take the title back to Louisiana Saturday night! #UFC302 pic.twitter.com/pxRtxtWoCu

— UFC (@ufc) May 27, 2024

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The Co-Main Event

The card’s co-main event is a huge middleweight bout between former champion Sean Strickland and #7-ranked Paulo Costa.

A moment that reminded us all how much we love this sport!@SStricklandMMA looks to deliver another memorable moment this Saturday 😤 #UFC302 pic.twitter.com/4viEkVVQ6y

— UFC (@ufc) May 27, 2024

Strickland will be fighting for the first time since losing his middleweight belt via razor-close split decision to Dricus Du Plessis in January, while Costa enters the night after coming up short against Robert Whittaker at UFC 298 in the Brazilian’s first fight since August 2022.

Fights You Don’t Want To Miss

Roman Kopylov vs. César Almeida

Sep 16, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Roman Kopylov (red gloves) fights Josh Fremd (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

This middleweight tilt between a pair of high-level strikers has rightfully attracted considerable fan attention from the moment it was announced. Kopylov was on a tremendous run of four-straight finishes before being submitted by Anthony Hernandez in February, but at UFC 302 the 33-year-old probably won’t have to worry about defending any takedowns against an experienced former kickboxer in Almeida.

André Lima vs. Mitch Raposo

Lima shows off a bite mark on his arm after his UFC debut against Igor Severino. | (Zuffa LLC) /

Lima had two different opponents pull out of UFC 302, and now Raposo will step in on short-notice after he was previously set for a second appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series this summer. Raposo has finished four-straight opponents and captured two titles on the New England regional scene since losing his first Contender Series fight in 2021, and this matchup with Lima should be an entertaining scrap after the Brazilian’s UFC debut famously ended in the second round after he was bitten by Igor Severino.

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Fighters To Watch

Jailton Almeida

Nov 4, 2023; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Jailton Almeida (red gloves) reacts after defeating Derrick Lewis (not pictured) during UFC Fight Night at Ibirapuera Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason da Silva-USA TODAY Sports / Jason da Silva-USA TODAY Sports

Almeida finally suffered the first setback of his UFC career in his last outing against Curtis Blaydes, and now fans are eager to see how the Brazilian rebounds from that loss. “Malhadinho” arrived in the UFC as a light heavyweight before he stormed into the heavyweight rankings with his dominant ground game, and in Newark he’ll be taking on another talented grappler in Alexandr Romanov.

Mickey Gall

Mickey Gall reacts to his welterweight loss against Mike Malott, not shown, Saturday, April 9, 2022 during UFC 273 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville. Malott won by KO/TKO in the first round. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA

It’s been nearly two years since fans last saw Gall enter the Octagon, and that was for a matchup with Mike Malott at UFC 273 where the New Jersey-native was brutally knocked out for his second loss in a row. Gall will have a chance to return to the win column in front of the Newark crowd this Saturday against Bassil Hafez, but if the 32-year-old comes up short it could be the end of the road for him in the UFC.

Kevin Holland

Mar 9, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Michael Page (blue gloves) fights Kevin Holland (red gloves) during UFC 299 at Kayesa Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Longtime fight fans already know that Holland is a must-watch fighter anytime he steps into the cage, but at UFC 302 he’ll also be looking to snap a two-fight skid when he takes on Michał Oleksiejczuk. “Trailblazer” has the submission skills necessary to exploit some of Oleksiejczuk’s weaknesses on the ground if he wants to go that route, but knowing Holland there’s a good chance he’ll decide to stand and trade with the dangerous Polish striker.

MMA Knockout will be providing comprehensive coverage for UFC 302 all throughout fight week, and be sure to check back on our home page for everything from pre-fight predictions to live results and highlights from all the action on fight night.

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