UFC 302 start time, full fight card details | Makhachev vs. Poirier (2024)

After a rare week off, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is once again hitting the road for its latest pay-per-view (PPV) offering as UFC 302 will go down later TONIGHT (Sat., June 1, 2024) inside Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Headlining the event will be a Lightweight title fight as division champion, Islam Makhachev, defends his 155-pound belt against former interim title holder, Dustin Poirier. In UFC 302’s pay-per-view (PPV) co-feature, Sean Strickland will face off against Paulo Costa in a must-watch Middleweight affair.

What’s Hot:

Makhachev is the current pound-for-pound king in mixed martial arts (MMA) ... and rightfully so. The current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight king is on a 13-fight win streak (longest in UFC), and has an impressive record of 25-1. He took the torch passed on by his mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and he has been running wild with it ever since, violently taking the strap from Charles Oliveira in Oct. 2022, then defending it two times against former Featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski. But, his defense against Poirier will be his first against a true 155-pound fighter who has spent his career trying to climb the top of the division. “The Diamond” has tasted UFC gold before, winning the interim strap in 2019, but failed to become the undisputed king on two separate occasions. This is perhaps Poirier’s last chance at accomplishing that feat, and it’s safe to say it’s coming against his toughest opponent to date.

For Poirier, keeping the fight upright is his obvious best path to victory because once Makhachev gets a grip, going for a ride down to the canvas is a sure-fire guarantee. Plus, Makhachev’s lone loss came via knockout, and Poirier’s hits hard ... very hard. But, trying to avoid the takedown is just half the battle for “Diamond,” and Makhachev isn’t exactly a slouch on the feet, though in an all-out standup war my money is on Poirier. Makhachev will also have a strength advantage, and he also has the advantage of learning from Khabib himself, who choked out Poirier at UFC 242. A loss won’t necessarily mean the end of the road for the Louisiana native, but another title fight likely won’t come anytime soon (if ever again). For Makhachev, another title defense only enhances his stock and proves his worth as pound-for-pound king. Both men expect a finish in this one, but this very well could be a drag-out, 25-minute war. If it does go that route, the odds are in Makhachev’s favor as well.

What’s Not:

I am not feeling the Kevin Holland vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk fight ... at all. And my disdain for this matchup grew further when news broke that Holland turned down a fight against Nick Diaz. I mean, the chance to fight a legend of the sport as opposed to an inconsistent fighter who not many fans support seems like an easy choice. Nevertheless, Holland hasn’t exactly been lighting it up as of late, losing his last two fights, including coming up short against former Bellator MMA star, Michael Page, at UFC 299. As for Oleksiejczuk, he is just 1-2 in his last three fights and is coming off a submission loss at the hands of Michel Pereira just two months ago. It makes one wonder how this fight made the PPV main card.

Original Card Vs. Actual Card:

UFC 302 CHEAT SHEET

What UFC event is on tonight? UFC 302: “Makhachev vs. Poirier”

Who is fighting tonight at UFC 302? Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier Lightweight title fight is the five-round main event.

What time does UFC 302 start? TONIGHT (Sat., June 1, 2024), beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

Where will UFC 302 take place? Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

How can I watch UFC 302? Early ESPN+“Prelims” matches at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining late “Prelims” undercard balance on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

How do I bet on UFC 302? Check out the latest lines at DraftKings.com.

Where can I get UFC 302 updates and results? Get full UFC 302 play-by-play updates and live coverage here!

See Also

Islam Makhachev retains UFC lightweight title in thrillerUFC 302 -- Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier: Results, highlights, fight card, winners, complete guideFight Facts: UFC 302 ‘Makhachev vs. Poirier’UFC 302 odds, predictions, start time, fight card, preview: Makhachev vs. Poirier picks from proven MMA expert

Alexander Volkov and Jailton Almeida were originally set to throw down on this card before Volkov was pulled for undisclosed reasons and booked to face Serghei Pavlovich on June 22, 2024. Almeida was then booked to face off against Alexandr Romanov. Almeida hopes to bounce back after suffering his first loss in six years after getting knocked out by Curtis Blaydes at UFC 299, snapping his 15-fight win streak. He plans to start another against Romanov, who managed to get back on track by snapping his two-fight skid after defeating Blagoy Ivanov one year ago. Also, Nyamjargal Tumendemberel got the call up to the big leagues to face Andre Lima in a Flyweight fight after Hyun Sung Park bowed out with an injury. In turn, Tumendemberel bowed out of the fight because of visa issues.

Injuries:

Anthony Hernandez was set to do battle against Roman Dolidze, but was forced out of the fight after he suffered a torn ligament in his hand. The aforementioned Park suffered an unfortunate knee injury and was forced out of his fight against Lima and replaced by Tumendemberel, who was then replaced by Mitch Raposo.

LIVE! Watch UFC 302 PPV On ESPN+ Here!

’GARDEN STATE’ SHOWDOWN! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., on Sat., June 1, 2024, featuring Lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, locking horns with 155-pound legend and No. 4-seeded contender,Dustin Poirier, in the pay-per-view (PPV) main event of the evening. UFC 302’s co-headliner features an action-packed, 185-pound scrap between No. 1-ranked contender,Sean Strickland,squaring off with Brazilian beefcake,Paulo Costa, in a five-round special attraction. UFC 302’s PPV main card (see it here) will also feature Kevin Holland vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk, Jailton Almeida vs. Alexandr Romanov and so much more. It’s must-watch action! UFC 302 start time scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET (Prelims) and 10 p.m. ET (PPV).

Don’t miss a single second of EPIC face-punching action!

See Also

UFC 302 full results: Islam Makhachev retains belt with 5th-round submission of Dustin Poirier

• STREAM UFC 302

New Blood:

After four straight wins following his loss on Contender Series, Raposo has now made his way onto UFC’s roster to face Lima. Raposo is 9-1 so far with seven stoppage wins and is out to make a splash right away. The 25-year old Flyweight will find it tough to do so against Lima, who is undefeated (8-0) and won his UFC debut after his opponent, Igor da Silva, bit him on the arm for no reason, leading to his release.

How The ‘Prelims’ Look:

Cesar Almeida had himself one explosive UFC debut a few months ago, knocking out Dylan Budka in the second round to improve his professional MMA record to 5-0. That was his fourth finish in his young MMA career, but has made it known that knockouts are his forte. He will try to replicate that performance against Roman Kopylov, who is coming off a loss to Anthony Hernandez. That defeat prevented him from getting his fifth straight win inside the Octagon, and so he now must start from scratch.

In Lightweight action, Grant Dawson and Joe Solecki will throw down to see who can get back into the win column. Dawson is coming off a devastating 33-second knockout loss at the hands of Bobby Green (see it again here). Solecki, meanwhile, was slammed unconscious by Drakkar Klose in his last fight (replay here), so both men will look to rid themselves of those horrible memories by scoring a much-needed win.

Jake Matthews once enjoyed a nice 6-1 run under the UFC banner, but those days are long gone and the talented Welterweight currently finds himself in a tough stretch, having lost three of his last five fights. He will go up against Philip Rowe, who saw his momentum halted thanks to a close split decision loss at the hands of Neil Magny. One man will find himself in a deeper hole after Saturday night, while the other can breathe a sigh of relief.

The lone women’s fight on this card will feature Ailin Perez doing battle against Joselyne Edwards at Bantamweight. After stumbling out of the UFC gates with a submission loss at the hands of Stephanie Egger, Perez has gone on to win two straight against Ashlee Evans-Smith and Lucie Pudilova. Edwards, on the other hand, had her three-fight win streak snapped at the hands of Nora Cornolle in Sept. 2023.

Who Needs A Win Badly:

After a perfect (4-0) start to his MMA career, including going 3-0 inside the Octagon and upsetting the once-hyped Sage Northcutt, Mickey Gall hasn’t exactly enjoyed success under the UFC banner. Since Nov. 2017, Gall has only managed to rack up a subpar record of 3-5, including going 1-3 in his last four. After fighting out his contract, Gall has been invited back and will attempt to look for a fresh start as he goes up against Bassil Hafez, who is coming off a loss to Jack Della Maddalena in his UFC debut. If Gall loses his third straight, I wouldn’t be too surprised if he gets his walking papers.

Interest Level: 8/10

In the co-main event of the evening, Strickland — a former UFC Middleweight champion — will attempt to make Costa’s face ugly (his words, not mine). Strickland lost his title to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 297, just four months after he shocked Israel Adesanya to become division king. As for Costa, he has been trying to climb his way to another title fight after failing to win the crown against Adesanya at UFC 253 about 3.5 years ago. Costa is just 1-3 in his last four fights, so he needs a win pretty urgently here to keep his confidence high. A win over Strickland won’t necessarily get him into a title fight, but it gives him a new lease on his combat life. For Strickland, taking out Costa in impressive fashion gets him toward a path to another title shot, but he will likely have to wait to see the outcome of the upcoming showdown between Robert Whittaker vs. Khamzat Chimaev, as the winner of that fight will likely get a championship shot.

Niko Price has seen better days inside the Octagon. The long-time veteran is currently on a two-fight losing streak and has lost three of his last four. If we want to take it back a bit further, “Hybrid” is 3-6-1 in his last 10 fights inside the Octagon. Price always shows up to fight, but he has to start getting wins if he doesn’t want to get released. And at this stage of his career, getting an invite back won’t happen. He has a tough fight against Alex Morono, who is coming off a win over Court McGee. Since 2021, Morono has quietly racked up an impressive 6-2 record.

Randy Brown vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos will kick off the main card in a Welterweight matchup. Brown has quietly gone 6-1 in his last seven fights, but he is still on the outside looking in when it comes to the Top 15. Dos Santos, meanwhile, has an impressive 10-3-1 UFC record, and still hasn’t been able to get a ranking spot, either. But, that may all change for the man who gets the “W” here.

Enjoy the fights!

Full UFC 302 Fight Card:

UFC 302 Main Event On ESPN+ PPV:

155 lbs.: UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier

UFC 302 Main Card On ESPN+ PPV (10 p.m. ET):

185 lbs.: Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa
185 lbs.: Kevin Holland vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
170 lbs.: Niko Price vs. Alex Morono
170 lbs.: Randy Brown vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos

UFC 302 ‘Prelims’ Card On ESPN2/ESPN+ (8 p.m. ET):

185 lbs.: Cesar Almeida vs. Roman Kopylov
265 lbs.: Jailton Almeida vs. Alexandr Romanov
155 lbs.: Grant Dawson vs. Joe Solecki
170 lbs.: Phil Rowe vs. Jake Matthews

UFC 302 Early ‘Prelims’ Card On ESPN+ (6:30 p.m. ET):

170 lbs.: Mickey Gall vs. Bassil Hafez
135 lbs.: Ailin Perez vs. Joselyne Edwards
125 lbs.: Andre Lima vs. Mitch Raposo

*Fight card, bout order and number of fights remain subject to change.*

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 302 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN2/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 302: “Makhachev vs. Poirier” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 302 fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.