After answering a short-notice call to face Brian Ortega on the June 29 card following the original co-main event falling through, the Mexican-based Brazilian stepped up once again when “T-City” couldn’t make the featherweight limit last Friday morning.
On fight day, however, Lopes found himself back on the scales, this time to weigh in for a 165-pound catchweight contest against Dan Ige. That came about after Ortega was struck by illness hours before UFC 303.
Lopes ultimately emerged victorious over his late-notice replacement opponent, grinding out a unanimous decision victory across three rounds of action inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.
Pre-fight, Lopes had already announced his intention to make the turnaround to fight at the Sphere in September. And having gone above and beyond last week, it would appear that the UFC is unsurprisingly set to grant that wish…
Lopes Calls For Rescheduled Ortega Fight Or Volkanovski Clash At The Sphere
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaXTQaGJF9s
During a backstage media scrum at T-Mobile Arena, Lopes reflected on his tumultuous fight week and victorious performance at UFC 303 while in conversation with reporters.
Responding to a question regarding his next fight from Caroline Pearce of TNT Sports, the Mexican-based Brazilian reiterated his plan to make the walk inside the Sphere for Riyadh Season Noche UFC.
And the surging featherweight also had a couple of opponents in mind…
“I would really love to fight on the Sphere (card). If you think about this, it’s such a special day, Mexican Independence Day weekend. I live in Mexico. It would be amazing to fight,” Lopes said. “They could just basically reschedule the fight against Ortega, I’d love that.
“If that’s not available, I’d love to have a fight against Alexander Volkanovski. I think that would be a great fight as well,” Lopes continued. “I think we need to sit down with the UFC and check what the plans are, but I think it should be somebody in the top five that I should be fighting with.”
When quizzed on the possibility of rescheduling Ortega vs. Lopes for the September 14 event during his post-event press conference, UFC CEO Dana White noted that the promotion needs to gauge “T-City’s” availability and plans.
Volkanovski, meanwhile, has been taking a break from competition ever since losing the featherweight title in violent fashion against Ilia Topuria in February.
While he’s been firm in stating that the gold will be on the line in his comeback fight, perhaps the allure of the Sphere could tempt the Australian to do battle with one of the division’s fastest-rising names.
UFC welterweight contender Colby Covington unsurprisingly had a firm take on rival Ian Garry’s recent success inside the Octagon.
Garry emerged victorious from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas this past weekend, where he opened the UFC 303 pay-per-view card alongside striking specialist Michael “Venom” Page.
The pair didn’t set the cage alight as some were expecting, with the Irishman instead utilizing his grappling to get the better of “MVP” in rounds one and three to secure a unanimous decision triumph on the scorecards.
In the lead-up, the former Cage Warriors champion expressed absolutely no interest in squaring off with Page at UFC 303, an event at which he’d initially hoped to face Covington as the co-headlining act for Conor McGregor’s return.
“Chaos” publicly dismissed that matchup, branding Garry a “nobody.” And he believes that stance has been vindicated having seen the Dubliner’s efforts on Saturday night…
Covington On Garry’s UFC 303 Performance: ‘That Was Pathetic!’
During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, Covington provided his thoughts on Garry’s decision win over Page on June 29, which extended his perfect professional record to 15-0.
“Chaos” laughed off mention of that unblemished slate, suggesting that Garry has built it by fighting “bums.” And while insisting that “The Future’s” performance was well below requirement, Covington mentioned UFC CEO Dana White’s take on the UFC 303 main card opener to support his point.
“Fighting cans from the Indian Casinos league, oh, big deal,” Covington said. “Anybody could be 15-0 fighting a bunch of 15 bums. Even Dana White himself said what he thought of the performance. He thought it was a draw. He doesn’t think there should have been a winner.
“I feel bad for the fans. The fans got robbed of a pay-per-view opener. That was pathetic. That guy’s fighting the number 14 guy in the world and barely scraping by,” Covington continued. “I think he lost the fight. I feel bad for the fans. They got robbed. But it just shows how much of a bum he is. … He was willing too do whatever he wanted to get on the Conor McGregor card because his name’s ‘Corner McGregor,’ the Conor McGregor wannabe. He pulled all these strings to get on the Conor card and then Conor left him on the alter. … The guy’s an absolute nobody and he’s a bum.”
Although much of Garry’s focus following his win over Geoff Neal in February was on Covington, it would appear that he’s accepted the sailing of that ship.
Rather than reiterating a desire to face “Chaos” post-UFC 303, the Irishman instead mentioned Shavkat Rakhmonov and Kamaru Usman as desirable next foes. It remains to be seen who Garry will share the cage with next, but after a third straight decision, he’ll no doubt be looking to finish whoever it is inside the distance.
After his win last night @IanGarryMMA is now 15-0 👏
He now has the longest active UFC win streak in the welterweight division with 8 consecutive wins! #UFC303pic.twitter.com/nhReY73m35
It’ll be Oceania vs. Oceania in Oceania when former flyweight title challengers Kai Kara-France and Steve Erceg share the Octagon at UFC 305 on August 17.
Topping the lineup this time will be UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis and divisional legend Israel Adesanya. And the Nigerian-New Zealander won’t be the only fighter from that region competing close to home.
As well as the likes of Joshua Culibao and Jack Jenkins, New Zealand’s Kara-France is set to meet Australia’s Erceg in a key bout in the context of the flyweight division.
Kara-France, Erceg Target Bounce-Back Win At UFC 305
When the #4-ranked Kara-France and #9-ranked Erceg throw down in Perth in less than two months’ time, both will be looking for a crucial rebound performance.
Kara-France (24-11, 1 NC) hasn’t been in action since June 2023 when he suffered a narrow main event decision loss to Amir Albazi at the Apex in Las Vegas. The result sent “Don’t Blink” onto the first losing skid of his UFC career, having followed an interim title defeat opposite Brandon Moreno 11 months prior at UFC 277 in Dallas.
If the New Zealander is to taste victory for the first time since his win over Askar Askrav 27 months ago, he must stall the charge of Erceg (12-2) and his pursuit of a rematch with reigning champion Alexandre Pantoja. The Aussie battled “The Cannibal” in the main event of UFC 301 in Brazil this past May, an opportunity that came off the back of three quick wins following his arrival in the promotion.
Despite a valiant attempt in Rio de Janeiro, “AstroBoy” was ultimately unable to unseat the champ. After expressing his desire to bounce back on home soil this August, Erceg has had his wish granted, and he’ll now look to return to the win column at the expense of Kara-France.
While the finish of their first fight back at UFC 295 last November left many dissatisfied and bemoaning the stoppage as early, that was not the case second time around, as “Poatan” brutally knocking “BJP” out with a head kick and follow-up punches on the ground.
As has become a common occurrence whenever he enters the cage, Pereira’s latest triumph once again had fans in the arena and at home on their feet yelling Joe Rogan-esque screams.
But one man’s reaction was a far cry from that…
Adesanya Reacts To Pereira vs. Procházka 2: ‘Damn, That’s Bad’
In a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Adesanya and some of his training partners can be seen reacting to the events that unfolded at the International Fight Week event on June 29.
The Nigerian-New Zealander had a strong connection to the main event, having faced Pereira four times across mixed martial arts and kickboxing, defeating him once by way of KO last April.
Since the pair last faced off, Pereira has flattened his opponents three times with his renowned power. With that, Adesanya was seemingly not at all shocked by Saturday’s finish and remained stoically reclined on his couch as “Poatan” floored his Czech counterpart with a head kick.
“Damn, that is bad. Oh, that is bad,” Adesanya said in the immediate after of the finish. “This card was cursed”
Much has been made about the potential of Pereira and Adesanya competing their MMA trilogy up at light heavyweight down the line.
For now, “The Last Stylebender” has his sights set on regaining the middleweight gold and settling his grudge with another rival in Dricus Du Plessis, whom Adesanya has gone back and forth with for well over a year.
They’re set to headline the upcoming UFC 305 event in Perth, Australia, on August 17.
On Saturday night, the mixed martial arts leader returned for its latest pay-per-view event, UFC 303.
International Fight Week unfolded in Las Vegas across recent days, with the headline act taking place inside the T-Mobile Arena. The venue hosted a number of intriguing matchups on June 29, with the championship rematch between Alex Pereira and Jiří Procházka leading the way in main event.
Like those two, Brian Ortega and Diego Lopes were also scheduled to do battle on short notice. But the eventual co-main event matchup brought a whole new meaning to late notice, with Dan Ige stepping in just hours before to replace an ill “T-City.”
The main card was made up of some more prominent contenders like light heavyweight veteran Anthony Smith and bantamweight standout Mayra Bueno Silva, who followed a highly anticipated first bout on PPV between the undefeated and uber-confident Ian Garry and striking specialist Michael “Venom” Page.
Elsewhere, notable names like Joe Pyfer, Cub Swanson, Payton Talbott, and Michelle Waterson-Gomez all looked to leave T-Mobile Arena with victories. But did they come together to form an entertaining night of fights?
Let’s find out with all the positives and negatives from UFC 303.
I know empty arenas for the start events is nothing new — in the United States, at least. But it never becomes any less disappointing to see fighters make the walk on a major card, only to compete in the equivalent of a spread out Apex audience.
That’s especially the case when the opening matchup is as intriguing as Ricky Simón vs. Vinicius Oliveira, which pitted a formerly ranked bantamweight and headliner against one of the division’s most exciting up-and-comers.
More than just the fighters missing out on a proper atmosphere, I still can’t wrap my ahead around why those with tickets want to get less for their money.
Do you guys not actually like MMA, or something?
We are 1️⃣5️⃣ minutes away from the start of #UFC303
I can’t remember the last time an MMA fight had a grappling back and forth as entertaining as what Rei Tsuruya and Carlos Hernandez put on at UFC 303.
The pair engaged in submission attempts and the kind of scrambles that have you on the edge of your seat throughout. While Fight of the Night and Fight of the Year contenders are almost entirely made up of striking barnburners, Tsuruya vs. Hernandez was among the most entertaining of this year to date, even if it doesn’t get the widespread recognition.
And given that Tsuruya’s twister attempts came meters away from advertisements for the upcoming Twisters movie, the marketing team for that film no doubt couldn’t believe their luck.
It’s been a while, but it’s time to bring back an old favorite from this editorial surrounding the UFC’s past attitude toward the flyweights…
“Remember when the flyweight division was going to be abolished? Thank goodness common sense prevailed…”
I’ve been able to use that line in four of five event reviews, and each time I’m more and more thankful that one of the most exciting pool of fighters are still able to electrify on MMA’s biggest stage.
Rei Tsuruya & Carlos Hernandez
Image: Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports
Negative – Polar Opposite
Nothing continues the momentum from an enthralling, fast-paced, high-level flyweight fight like classic, unranked heavyweight slop.
Andrei Arlovski and Martin Buday’s heavyweight prelim being painfully dull was expected. But it’s still 15 minutes of my life that I’ll never get back, so it’s going down as a negative regardless.
Neither man appeared keen to engage, and before any sort of strike of note could be thrown, they tired themselves in action-less clinches against the fence.
At this point, it feels like about a decade since “The Pitbull” was in an exciting affair. But having already become champion and competed a countless number of times — not to mention him being 45 years old — it’s hard to send the legend too much criticism. Buday, however, is much harder to defend.
Outside of the rankings (and inside the rankings in some cases), the UFC’s heavyweight division is as bad as it gets. And yet, the likes of Shamil Gaziev find themselves in headline spots.
The silver lining on this occasion? It came so early on in the night.
Andrei Arlovski gets paid several hundred thousand dollars a fight to have terrible clinch-fests on the prelims. This man is the greatest prizefighter in MMA history. #UFC303
Daniel Cormier had his anecdote about betting on Yanis Ghemmouri cut off in violent fashion by Payton Talbott just 19 seconds into their fight. Turns out, -1600 odds were well and truly justified.
With that result coming off the back of a brutal beatdown against the highly touted Cameron Saaiman, it’s hard to find another rising prospect at 135 pounds who has established themselves as a future star quite like Talbott.
For some reason, Talbott appeared to get some hate from the fanbase this week when featuring in promotional material for the UFC and ESPN. I say “some reason” as if we don’t know said reason — insecure MMA fans getting flustered by somebody dressing differently to them and having some color to their nails.
Those same ‘fans’ will be the type who idolize Sean Strickland, whose style couldn’t be further from Talbott’s when it comes to entertainment and the pursuit of finishes.
The 25-year-old is unapologetically himself and has a dry sense of humor that makes his personality shine through on social media. Given how high his ceiling is, we can most likely expect his prominence to only increase each time he steps into the cage.
Some strikes in mixed martial arts — and combat sports as a whole — are just more satisfying than others. An uppercut is certainly in the top tier. Need I say more than Francis Ngannou vs. Alistair Overeem?
Unfortunately, “Lord Assassin” did miss weight. But while that may have hampered how we reflect on his immediate rise up the featherweight ladder following UFC 303, there’s no denying that he delivered one of the night’s top highlights.
The “be Joe Pyfer” movement took a brief pause this past February when veteran middleweight contender Jack Hermansson put in the desirable performance on the night of their UFC Fight Night headliner. But as far as rebound performances go, yeah, fighters would do well to “be Joe Pyfer.”
Before going the distance in a losing effort against “The Joker,” Pyfer was a destructive force in his opening Octagon appearances, stopping Gerald Meerschaert and Alen Amedovski with strikes. When matched up with Marc-André Barriault, it always felt like a similarly violent performance was on the cards, providing February’s setback wasn’t playing too heavily on his mind.
The jury is still out on whether Pyfer can excel against those inside the rankings. But when it comes to dispatching those outside of it, there’s no doubt about the 27-year-old’s ability to leave foes sleeping.
Maybe that heading is a bit harsh on Ian Garry, who had his hand raised over Michael “Venom” Page to kick off Saturday’s PPV card. After all, he survived a challenge from considerably lower in the rankings that he shouldn’t really have needed to face.
Unfortunately, the gulf in numbers next to their name and Page’s history as a longtime Bellator fighter led to the Irishman practically laughing off any suggestion that “MVP” could have success against him. That’s always a curious strategy, because even if that fighter is to back up their remarks by running through their opponent, how are fans supposed to see it as impressive after you’ve spent weeks trashing their abilities?
In the Irishman’s case, he did not back up his words. “The Future” was clearly outmatched on the feet, where Page’s speed edge was obvious and power on display in a second round in which the Londoner landed some big blows on the Dubliner.
I like Garry and I think he has a long future high up the welterweight ladder. But if I’m Leon Edwards, I’m sitting a little more comfortably on my throne after watching the #7-ranked contender’s latest triumph.
I went back and forth on how to categorize the UFC 303 co-main event. Up until it actually happened, this was going to be a negative about yet another change to the lineup and an extremely late issue on the side of Brian Ortega.
But after seeing the fight, the focus absolutely has to be on Dan Ige, whose heart and grit inside T-Mobile Arena brought an unlikely positive.
Ige woke up three weeks out from his return to action against Chepe Mariscal. By the end of the night, he was within the steel surroundings of the Octagon throwing down with Diego Lopes on just hours’ notice.
And his display was not what you’d expect from someone drafted in at such a late hour. He fought valiantly and competitively against Lopes, who also deserves an immeasurable amount of credit for how he handled a tumultuous few days that saw him go from a featherweight fight with Ortega to a lightweight fight with Ortega to a 165-pound catchweight fight with Ige.
The Brazilian ultimately got the job done by winning the first two rounds, but he was made to withstand some heavy blows in the final frame as “50K” threatened to mount a comeback.
When talk of Ige stepping in emerged, my immediate thought was that it shouldn’t happen. And had Ige suffered a difficult loss early on, perhaps that feeling would have stayed. But with a responsible team around him and a more than strong performance, it’s impossible to see Ige saving the day in the way he did as a negative — providing he got paid with a capital P.
It’s difficult to comprehend the position “Poatan” finds himself in. He’s knocking rivals out left, right, and center while in the midst of a second title reign in a second weight class. If somebody would have predicted that after the first round of his UFC debut against Andreas Michailidis, most would have laughed it off.
Of course, a discussion about the type of competition he’s faced is fair. Aside from a hard-fought battle with Jan Błachowicz, “Poatan” hasn’t had his grappling massively tested, and the Polish light heavyweight is by no means among the best on the ground.
But to be quite honest, that fact doesn’t affect Pereira’s status as a budding entrant into the group of all-time greats as much as it should. Perhaps that’s down to his finishing capabilities, continued habit of saving the promotion’s behind at major events, or a personality and humor that means even his lack of English doesn’t keep his star down.
On Saturday, Pereira took the next step toward undeniable greatness by repeating his feat from last November, this time in a fashion that left zero debate or controversy. While Jiří Procházka and many may have been unhappy with the stoppage at UFC 295, it’s a lot easier to look back on that and say with confidence that he wasn’t coming back after what happened at UFC 303.
At first, it appeared the horn to close out the first round had saved “BJP” after he was dropped by Pereira’s renowned left hook. Unfortunately, the extra time only served to send the Czech challenger to an even more brutal fate, as he was sent back to the canvas by a head kick and left wondering where he was by some vicious ground-and-pound strikes.
Enjoy “Poatan” while he’s here, folks, because he is one of a kind.
While “The Future” has worked his way up to #6 on the ladder with wins over the likes of Neil Magny and Geoff Neal in recent times, “MVP” only debuted on MMA’s biggest stage in Miami this past March.
At UFC 299, the Londoner impressed in his first UFC appearance after over a decade competing under the Bellator banner. He showed glimpses of his flashy striking style en route to a decision victory over Kevin Holland.
In pursuit of a quick rise toward an all-English title showdown with Leon Edwards, Page has the chance to climb close to the top five at the expense of Garry at UFC 303 on June 29.
And one of the division’s up-and-comers expects him to do just that…
Randy Brown Has No Doubt Page Defeats Garry On June 29
During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Randy Brown reflected on his victory over Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos at UFC 302 this past weekend and looked ahead to some other clashes set for his division in the coming weeks and months.
“Rude Boy” was asked for his take on the sophomore UFC outing for Page, who, like Brown, has Jamaican heritage. Brown not only expects “Venom” to have his hand raised in Las Vegas, but he expects it to come with minimal resistance from Garry.
“MVP, easy. Yeah, easy,” Brown said. “MVP, man, is super dynamic. I think he brings an element into the division that I think a lot of people are not used to seeing; movement, lateral movement, and just a level of creativity that most people aren’t seeing at all.
“If you’re not used to seeing that — even a style like mine that’s based off movement alone — it throws people for a loop,” Brown continued. “You look at a guy like MVP, I think that movement is gonna throw Ian Garry off. Ian Garry’s the bigger guy, so he’s also used to using things like that, movement. But when you go against a guy that has a better skillset in that realm and has more experience in that realm… I think he picks him apart.”
Page will no doubt hope to prove Brown’s assessment correct come fight night. To do so, he’ll need to blemish the perfect record of Garry, a former Cage Warriors champion who has long been touted for title success in the sport’s leading promotion.
Should the promotion look to keep him at middleweight post-UFC 302, Kevin Holland has a matchup in mind.
Holland made the most of a short-notice opportunity on this past weekend’s pay-per-view main card, bouncing back from consecutive defeats to Jack Della Maddalena and Michael “Venom” Page.
In his return to 185 pounds, “Trailblazer” made quick work of Michał Oleksiejczuk. After being dropped early, Holland was quick to lock his Polish opponent into a gruesome armbar.
Given his ambidexterity when it comes to weight classes, Holland is open to making the walk at either welterweight or middleweight next time out. If the UFC favors the latter, though, “Big Mouth” would like to revisit a matchup…
Holland Wants To Test Improved Wrestling In Vettori Rematch
During a backstage interview with Sportsnet’s Aaron Bronsteter at Newark’s Prudential Center, Holland outlined his intentions to make a quick turnaround and highlighted opponent options at both 170 and 185 pounds.
“At ’85, there’s probably a lot of guys I’d like to fight. I’d like a Marvin Vettori rematch if I’m gonna stay at ’85,” Holland said. “I don’t know what he did his last fight. I think I’ve got my wrestling takedown defense a little bit better. You know, I finished him (Oleksiejczuk) off my back. My jiu-jitsu just got better. I don’t know, I just wanna fight.”
Having worked on his takedown defense and ground game in the years since, Holland evidently wants a go at avenging that result down the line.
Vettori’s current status is unclear. The Italian was set for a main event against Brendan Allen this past April but withdrew through injury after a “freak accident.” It remains to be seen when he’ll be able to compete again, and whether it would fit in with Holland’s plan for a quick return post-UFC 302.
Following his second setback of 2024, UFC middleweight contender Paulo Costa would appear to have at least one option already for his return to action.
While he impressed in defeat against one former champion in Robert Whittaker at UFC 298 this past February, the same can’t be said for Costa’s performance opposite another on June 1.
In the co-main event of UFC 302, “Borrachinha” looked to climb the ladder at the expense of Sean Strickland, who was making his first appearance since losing the title in Canada earlier this year.
Although the pair promised a bloody brawl during fight week, that was far from the case inside Prudential Center, with “Tarzan” ultimately emerging victorious from a lackluster affair.
Chris Curtis Interested In Costa Clash Upon Return From Injury
Having seen Costa receive heavy criticism from fans and analysts after his disappointing display in Newark on Saturday night, Chris Curtis took to social media with some words of encouragement.
“The Action Man” knows full well the struggle that comes with solving Strickland’s unique style having gone numerous rounds with him in the training room. With that in mind, he sympathized with “Borrachinha.”
And Curtis concluded his message with a proposal, offering to stand and bang with Costa upon his return from injury later this year.
“Anybody who has sparred Strickland knows he is a weird style to deal with. @BorrachinhaMMA no shame man, it happens,” Curtis wrote. “If you (want) someone in the middle and swing til someone goes down, I’m cleared soon and looking to fight in September. Would be an honour. @Mickmaynard2”
While that result kept him at #15 in the rankings, it stands to reason that Costa will need to fight down the pecking order next time out after slipping to #8 following his second defeat of 2024.
Should Conor McGregor not make it to fight night at UFC 303 later this month, Chael Sonnen has an idea on whom the promotion could draft in to face Michael Chandler instead.
Moments after the milestone UFC 300 pay-per-view concluded this past April, the long-awaited return of McGregor was finally confirmed. After over a year of speculation, the former two-division champ had his comeback fight opposite Chandler made official.
The pair are slated to headline this year’s edition of International Fight Week, topping the lineup at the UFC 303 pay-per-view on June 29. But shortly after entering the month of the event, the fanbase has its concerns.
Sonnen doesn’t believe that to be the case. In the event it is, however, the former fighter thinks the UFC has a strong alternative for Chandler…
Sonnen Names The ‘Fight To Book’ For Chandler If McGregor Pulls Out
During a recent episode of his Good Guy/Bad Guy show alongside Daniel Cormier on ESPN MMA’s YouTube channel, Sonnen gave his take on the recent rumors regarding McGregor’s status for UFC 303.
After claiming that McGregor’s fight “code” means he’s unlikely to pull out of a fight on late notice, “The American Gangster” suggested that a withdrawal would spell the end of his matchup with Chandler for good.
In that scenario, Sonnen believes the UFC would be wise to turn its attention to a BMF title showdown between “Iron” and Max Holloway.
“One of Conor’s codes is the show must go on… I just don’t believe, a month in advance — whether it’s illness, injury, or any other excuse — that Conor’s gonna be the one that pulls,” Sonnen said. “But I will tell you this, there will be no postponement of this fight. They either fight on the 29th or we move on.
“I believe Conor’s gonna be opposite Michael Chandler. I’m very confident in telling you that,” Sonnen continued. “However, if he’s not, Michael Chandler versus Max Holloway for the BMF is the fight to book.”
Holloway won the symbolic belt in his return to the lightweight division at UFC 300, brutally knocking out Justin Gaethje in the dying seconds after outperforming “The Highlight” for the best part of five rounds.
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Martin Luther King Jr. #UFC303 – Walk On. – See you at the top! pic.twitter.com/uVj6BfJPnv
— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) June 3, 2024
And in the aftermath of UFC 302, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings.
Men’s Pound-For-Pound: While the MMA community remains in hot discussion over Dana White’s insistence that Jon Jones should be above Islam Makhachev, the latest shift in the P4P order has affected the other champion in Jones’ division, interim heavyweight titleholder Tom Aspinall.
Despite holding gold since knocking out Sergei Pavlovich, the Brit has dropped one place to #13. Benefitting from that is ex-lightweight champ Charles Oliveira, who has moved back up to #12 despite falling short against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300 this past April.
Women’s Pound-for-Pound: No changes.
Women’s Strawweight: No changes.
Women’s Flyweight: No changes.
Women’s Bantamweight: No changes.
Flyweight: Months on from suffering his second straight loss to Tim Elliott last December, Sumudaerji has been removed from the rankings at 115 pounds. In his place, Cody Durden has returned at #15. The American was submitted by Tagir Ulanbekov last time out but had previously won four straight.
Bantamweight: No changes.
Featherweight: No changes.
Lightweight: No changes.
Welterweight: No changes.
Middleweight: Sean Strickland remains the number one contender at 185 pounds following his victory in a lackluster co-main event at UFC 302. His defeated opponent, meanwhile, has slid further from contention, with Paulo Costa down one position at #8 as a result of his second setback this year. His slight fall has boosted Nassourdine Imavov up one place to #7 ahead of his headliner against Jared Cannonier this weekend in Louisville.
Following his return to the winner’s circle at UFC 302, Kevin Holland named Joaquin Buckley as one option for his next fight.
Holland entered this past weekend’s pay-per-view event at Newark’s Prudential Center on a losing skid, having dropped consecutive decisions to Jack Della Maddalena and Michael “Venom” Page down at 170 pounds.
After noting a willingness to do battle at either welterweight or middleweight, “Big Mouth” threw out the name of Joaquin Buckley as a possible opponent option post-UFC 302.
“Whatever the UFC wants me to do. I’m pretty sure there’s somebody that needs their ass whooped,” Holland said. “Joaquin Buckley keeps running his mouth. Maybe I have to go whoop him. That is my son. You know, you gotta always keep your kids in line.”
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) June 2, 2024
Holland and Buckley previously collided at the Apex back in 2020, where the former recorded a knockout 32 seconds into the third and final round. The result was the second on a record run of five straight wins in that calendar year for “Trailblazer.”
Buckley subsequently rose to prominence by delivering an all-time great knockout against Impa Kasanganay. After his progress at 185 pounds stalled, “New Mansa” now finds himself ranked at welterweight following victories over Vicente Luque and Nursulton Ruziboev in 2024.
UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev wishes he approached striking exchanges with even more confidence this past weekend.
Makhachev made his first appearance of 2024 in the main event of Saturday’s pay-per-view card, taking to the Octagon at Newark’s Prudential Center to stake his 155-pound crown against Dustin Poirier.
While “The Diamond” performed admirably, he was ultimately unable to bring Makhachev’s reign to an end. Instead, the Dagestani tied Khabib Nurmagomedov and Benson Henderson’s record tally of three defenses each by submitting the challenger in round five.
The finish came by way of a D’arce choke and followed success on the ground for the champ earlier in the fight. But Makhachev also displayed his ever-developing standup game, catching Poirier clean with a number of shots and combinations.
And with his striking gaining plenty of plaudits post-fight, Makhachev seemingly wishes he showcased even more of it…
Makhachev Reflects On UFC 302 Win: ‘I Have To Believe More In My Striking’
During an interview with Megan Olivi for ESPN MMA, Makhachev provided an assessment of his performance in New Jersey, which marked his first defense against an established lightweight contender following two victories over then-featherweight kingpin Alexander Volkanovski in 2023.
While sporting heavy damage of his own as a result of Poirier’s slick boxing, Makhachev noted that he largely gave as good as he got on the feet. With that in mind, he regrets not throwing hands with more confidence.
“I am happy I finished him,” Makhachev said. “He give me cut. He landed a lot of good punches, but I landed good too. I think the mistake in this fight, I have to believe more in my striking. Honestly, we focused in the wrestling, take him down, make him tired there. But I have to believe in my striking more, I think.”
The result marked Poirier’s third failed attempt at reaching the 155-pound mountaintop, with the former interim champ previously suffering defeats to both Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira with gold on the line.
Ahead of the June 1 card in New Jersey, the Louisianan noted that retirement could follow regardless of the result. That appears to still be the case, with Poirier telling Joe Rogan inside the Octagon post-fight that his career could well be at its conclusion.
But after seeing how competitively he performed as a massive underdog at UFC 302, one former fighter hopes to see “The Diamond” continue throwing down…
Cormier Tells Poirier: There’s Still Money To Be Made, Big Fights To Be Had
During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Cormier provided his immediate thoughts on UFC 302 while still sat cageside following the end of the PPV card.
Despite Poirier admitting that the event could have marked his last outing inside the cage, “DC” hopes to see the Louisianan fan favorite continue in the form of big-name fights, even if it means he makes the walk less often.
“If Dustin Poirier’s leaving this game, he leaves us with a ton of memories,” Cormier said. “I don’t want to see him go. I don’t know that he should go. I think that what Dustin Poirier should do is take the big fights. He’s such an attraction now in the world of fighting that he’s got a lot of money to be made, but also a lot of big fights to be had.
“He’s only 35 years old. He can do this for a long time. Maybe don’t fight as frequently, but continue to make that walk,” Cormier continued. “Because once you’re done, you’re done and you can’t come back from it. Sometimes that sucks, especially for a guy that seemingly has a lot of years ahead of him.”
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Poirier.
He’s previously been left in a similar limbo in the aftermath of his failed title bid opposite Oliveira in 2021. “The Diamond” initially suggested that only fun fights would bring him back before ultimately embarking on another run toward the belt.
Time will tell whether or not the coming months will see Poirier change his stance or commit to a departure from active competition on the back of a valiant performance in Newark.
UFC 302 is in the books, meaning attention will soon turn to the mixed martial arts leader’s next pay-per-view offering.
The promotion was in Newark, New Jersey, last week, where the Prudential Center played host to a number of intriguing matchups. Of note were victories for UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev, former middleweight kingpin Sean Strickland, the always entertaining Kevin Holland, and heavyweight contender Jailton Almeida.
While the aftermath of the June 1 card is currently the talk of the town, it won’t be long until focus sways to the next PPV, and from the current crop of elite lightweights to one of the division’s former champs.
At UFC 303, set for Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on June 29, former two-division UFC titleholder Conor McGregor will make the walk for the first time since suffering a gruesome leg break against Dustin Poirier in July 2021.
Hill, Ulberg, Garry, Page Set The Stage For McGregor Headliner At UFC 303
Before “The Notorious” Irishman makes his long-awaited comeback in the main event, a number of high-profile names will take to the Octagon looking to make the post of their position on the major card.
After the two elite strikers open the main card, Joe Pyfer and Mayra Bueno Silva will look to bounce back from their defeats earlier this year. After a main event loss to Jack Hermansson, “Bodybagz” is tasked with getting the better of veteran Canadian Marc-André Barriault. “Sheetara,” meanwhile, must rebound at the expense of Macy Chiasson months on from an unsuccessful challenge for the vacant bantamweight gold against Raquel Pennington.
Then, setting the stage for McGregor vs. Chandler in the co-main event will be former light heavyweight champ Jamahal Hill. “Sweet Dreams” is making a quick turnaround following his knockout loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 300. He’ll share the cage with the charging Carlos Ulberg, who is stepping in as a short-notice replacement for Khalil Rountree.
See below for the full UFC 303 card, as it stands.
Main Card:
Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler (welterweight main event)
Jamahal Hill vs. Carlos Ulberg (light heavyweight co-main event)
Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Macy Chiasson (women’s bantamweight)
“Trailblazer” quickly returned to the win column, landing a submission victory over Oleksiejczuk that will no doubt go down as one of the most gruesome in recent memory.
Holland On UFC 302 Armbar: ‘I’m Going To Have To Do A Full-Blown Break…’
During his post-fight press conference, Holland looked back on the finishing sequence of his clash with Oleksiejczuk, which came just over 90 seconds into the bout.
“Big Mouth” recalled hearing a quick pop of the arm, which wasn’t enough to draw a tap out of “Hussar.” Holland joked that responsibility for the injury lies with referee Herb Dean, who dismissed his initial calls to halt the fight before applying further pressure on Oleksiejczuk’s arm.
“Herb Dean’s fault. I asked him to stop it a little earlier, but Herb Dean was like, ‘You’ve got to go a little bit longer.’ Alright, cool, cool,” Holland said jokingly. “When I first put him in the armbar, I heard the pop. After that, it wasn’t popping again and I was like, I’m going to have to do a full-blown break. So I kept trying to do a little chihuahua scoot, get myself underneath there and then hit a good pull after that. But the guy is tough as nails.
“He hit me with a good shot. Tough guy… I fought John Phillips for my first UFC win, and I had a feeling he would be like John Phillips but better,” Holland continued. “I definitely want to win the fight because I like both of my checks, but (I wish) no harm to him. I hope he’s okay and I hope it’s truly not broken because he seemed to be a cool guy.”
The result marked Holland’s first victory since a first-round D’arce choke against Michael Chiesa at UFC 291 last July. Defeats to Jack Della Maddalena and Page subsequently halted his charge up the welterweight ladder.
Having rebounded up at 185 pounds, it remains to be seen which division will stage the 31-year-old’s Texan’s next outing. But given his penchant for high activity, it likely won’t be long until we find out.
Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya had a vested interest as Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa shared the cage in this past weekend’s co-main event.
While Saturday’s UFC 302 pay-per-view event in Newark, New Jersey, closed out in style with a blockbuster championship headliner, it wasn’t short on disappointments. According to most, that included the five-round affair between Strickland and Costa.
Leading into the event, the matchup was widely pointed to as among the most intriguing on the UFC 302 lineup. With that in mind, plenty of eyes were on the co-headliner, including those of Adesanya.
Adesanya Reacts To Strickland’s UFC 302 Win: ‘Costa Sucks Off His Back Foot’
Having defeated Costa back in 2020 and lost the middleweight title to Strickland just last September, the Nigerian-New Zealander paid close attention to the co-main event at Prudential Center.
“Costa sucks off the back foot. He’s not really good off the back foot,” Adesanya said. “He’s doing better in this fight. Costa could set him up here, man, ’cause (Strickland’s) so worried about that leg. He’s marching! (laughs)… It’s easier said than done (to stand your ground against Strickland), I’ll tell you that. But if you’ve worked on it, you know how to do it.”
Adesanya will likely now have the possibility of a second dance with Strickland at the back of his mind. First things first, though, he’ll need to dethrone Dricus Du Plessis to achieve three-time champ status.
UFC middleweight Paulo Costa fell to a second straight loss in 2024 this past weekend, and he’s now vowing to make changes.
Costa returned to action after an 18-month layoff this past February in Anaheim, where he impressed in defeat against former champion Robert Whittaker. The same can’t be said when it comes to his efforts against another ex-titleholder on June 1, however.
In the co-main event of Saturday’s pay-per-view, “Borrachinha” shared the Octagon with Sean Strickland. While the pair promised a bloodbath at last week’s press conference, it turned out to be the opposite on fight night.
Costa Vows Violence From Here On Out After UFC 302 Loss: ‘F*ck Points!’
A day on from his latest setback — his fourth in five fights since extending his then-undefeated record to 10-0 against Yoel Romero in 2019 — Costa addressed his UFC 302 performance in a video uploaded to X (formerly Twitter).
“I just came to say a few words. Yeah, Sean won. I didn’t perform very well. I think he didn’t either, but at least he did enough to win, right? This is two losses in a row in three fights, three former champs — Luke Rockhold, (Robert) Whittaker, and Sean,” Costa said (h/t MMA Fighting). “I won one and lost two. But let me tell you something, I agree with Dana (White) and Joe Rogan, and I will do that — I will bring back the (old) Paulo to take heads off, to finish the fight. I’m not that kind of counter (fighter), sorry, I’m not that kind of counter guy. I do better (when I) move forward and try to finish and look for heads.
“Sean is so awkward, so different kind of fighter to fight against, it’s difficult. He was teeping me, keeping (away), pushing me, keep pushing me, keep me far from him, because he knows the power that I have. And I have the power, so I need to deliver that — and I will do that. I won’t give a f*ck. F*ck points or conserving energy or f*ck anything about that. I will come to take heads off,” Costa continued. “And this is who I am, this is the kind of fighter I am, and the fighter who people expect that I perform (as). So I will do that. F*ck points, I’ve (had) enough of this. Even the first round that I was 100 percent sure that I won, some people thought I lost. F*ck them. I will come to take heads off. That’s it, who I am.”
It remains to be seen what lies in Costa’s future, but it stands to reason that he’ll be defending his #7 spot in the rankings next time out and will need to string together some wins if he’s to return to title contention.
Khabib Nurmagomedov had a front-row view of Islam Makhachev’s latest victory at UFC 302, and he thinks the champion “grew a lot.”
Makhachev secured a record-tying third defense of the lightweight title in this past weekend’s pay-per-view main event, withstanding the challenge of Dustin Poirier at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
The result certainly did not come easy, with “The Diamond” showing his improvements in what appeared to be his most impressive bid for the undisputed crown to date.
Makhachev’s fellow countrymen subsequently stormed the cage, including “The Eagle,” who was appearing in his protégé corner for the first time since his 2022 title win over Charles Oliveira.
In his return to cageside, the former champ saw Makhachev grow as a fighter…
UFC Shares Khabib’s Immediate Thoughts On Makhachev vs. Poirier
Following the conclusion of Saturday’s event, UFC cameras caught up with Khabib backstage at Prudential Center to get his immediate thoughts on how the main event played out.
“Today, Islam grew a lot. When you go deep like today, it shows people, and you understand your body and your things inside; how deep you can go, even more. There is more place,” Khabib said.
“Sometimes — not sometimes, all the time people underestimate theirselves. Our body, our soul, we can go deeper than five rounds, 10 rounds; doesn’t matter. You just have to find this,” Khabib continued. “You have to be relaxed and find this way. The way how you have to go, how you can go deep. It was a very good fight.”
It remains to be seen whether Khabib will once again become a mainstay in the corner of the lightweight kingpin.
Coach Javier Mendez has called for “The Eagle” to corner his team’s major fights, and that would certainly include a second dance with Arman Tsarukyan or potential shot at two-division glory up at 170 pounds.
MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring the next fight for Mackenzie Dern.
With UFC cards being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week.
In recent days, a couple of notable fights were made official by the UFC. For more information on those matchups, check out the links below:
And for more detailed information on one newly booked fight that may have flown under your radar between May 27 and June 2, scroll down and check out this week’s UFC Matchmaking Bulletin spotlighted fight.
Mackenzie Dern vs. Loopy Godinez – UFC Abu Dhabi (August 3)
Mackenzie Dern will look to bounce back from the first losing skid of her professional MMA career when she heads to Abu Dhabi to appear on the UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov undercard.
Dern (13-5) has struggled with consistency since winning four straight upon her return post-pregnancy. After losing her opening two main events to Marina Rodriguez and Yan Xiaonan, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist appeared to level up in an Apex headliner last May, with Dern putting in her strongest display to date against Angela Hill. But the 31-year-old has been unable to build on that, falling to a crushing TKO loss at the hands of Jéssica Andrade last November and a narrow decision opposite Amanda Lemos at UFC 298 this past February.
If Dern is to rebound in the Middle East on August 3, she’ll have to send Loopy Godinez (12-4) onto a losing skid of her own. The Mexican climbed into the top 10 at 115 pounds on the back of a four-fight win streak that included a decision victory over Tabatha Ricci at UFC 295 last November. But in her bid to further climb the ranks in Atlantic City this past March, Godinez was outpointed by Virna Jandiroba.
This strawweight matchup was announced by the promotion.
Headlining was lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev, who put his gold on the line against an established 155-pound contender for the first time. If he was to tie Khabib Nurmagomedov and Benson Henderson’s record for defenses in the division, the Dagestani had to prevent a potential fairytale ending to the career of Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier.
Intrigue was also on the co-headliner, which saw former middleweight champion Sean Strickland enter the cage for the first time since losing his title to Dricus Du Plessis this past January. In his way of a quick rebound victory was the always dangerous (and unpredictable, both verbally and physically) Paulo Costa.
Elsewhere, notable names like Kevin Holland, Randy Brown, Jailton Almeida, and Bassil Hafez all looked to leave Prudential Center with victories. But did they come together to form an entertaining night of fights?
Let’s find out with all the positives and negatives from UFC 302.
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, the promotion’s new glove design did absolutely (excuse my French) f**k all to solve the main issue that has long been visible at practically every event.
No matter how many adjectives and long, technical words the UFC put in its announcement of the new design prior to UFC 300, the absence of the word “poke” was immediately pointed to as a concern.
And in a story of irony that even Jim Carrey couldn’t have played up, poor Mitch Raposo had to absorb multiple eye pokes from André Lima.
Spending thousands on a new glove design that solves issues people hadn’t even thought of instead of, you know, just fixing the problem everyone is aware of is quite something from the UFC.
Also, you’re not getting away without a word, too, Herb Dean.
If I hear the words “hard warning” followed by no point deduction after another foul, I’m going to lose my mind. Not only did Lima deliver another poke, he then completed an egregious fence grab while Raposo attempted to take him down.
Superb start to the night.
Negative – Don’t Let It Go To The Scorecards
Whenever I write negatives on judging, I always starts with a note on how I’m among those more inclined to defend the work of those cageside than criticize and believe the debate surrounding judging is largely born out of the fanbase’s lack of understanding regarding the scoring criteria.
The idea that the American won that fight is ludicrous to me following initial viewing, and had another judge followed suit, it would have gone down as a sure-fire robbery — given that I usually mock those who cry robbery after decisions, I don’t use that word lightly.
One thing I will say, however, is the talented Aaron Bronsteter saw things a lot closer than us at home did. While sat behind a judge, the Canadian reporter perceived the bout as a tight affair, reminding us just how different the in-person experience can be.
From one angle cageside, judging isn’t an easy job. It seems like a major flaw of MMA that fights can appear so different depending on whether someone is watching from a judge’s seat or from home.
For what it's worth, I am sitting directly behind one of the judges' positions and not watching the broadcast.
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) June 1, 2024
Hammering home the suggestion that UFC 302 fighters should have been particularly keen to find a finish were a pair of 30-27 scorecards for Bassil Hafez a couple of fights later. There’s no doubt in mind that Hafez won, but there’s also little doubt that Mickey Gall’s work in round three was enough to be rewarded.
Oh, and honorable mentions for 29-28 César Almeida, 30-27 Grant Dawson, and 49-46 Paulo Costa (Tirelli, again).
Thankfully, no fighter walked away with a wrong result. But it’s only a matter of time until someone does.
Positive – WAR
The UFC 302 preliminary card was held in decision city. Thankfully, while we did get an utter snoozefest in Grant Dawson vs. Joe Solecki, we got the opposite when Hafez and Gall did battle.
Topping the early prelims, Hafez proved that his surprisingly strong performance in a short-notice debut against the high-ranked Jack Della Maddalena was no fluke, walking Gall down and landing some heavy blows across the duration of three rounds.
And for Gall, while he may have lost a third straight fight, he was coming from a lengthy layoff following back surgery, and his late rally suggested that he’s set to be a tough out for up-and-coming welterweights moving forward.
The highlight of this fight was the third and final round, with the pair channeling their inner Max Holloway to throw down with reckless abandon in the dying seconds.
Violence was fairly sporadic throughout UFC 302. It was frequent in this clash.
I’m not a religious person, but I pray to whatever higher power may be out there when heavyweights enter the Octagon. What do I ask for? A quick finish and the prevention of a classic full-distance slog.
Of all the people to answer my prayers, Jailton Almeida was a turn up for the books.
That surprise is an exaggeration, of course. Prior to his showdown with Derrick Lewis last November, “Malhadinho” was a prolific and destructive finisher. But five rounds of nothing against “The Black Beast” and a similar strategy against Curtis Blaydes prior to being hammer-fisted to a defeat changed the narrative.
Having had no finishes up to that point and just witnessed close to 15 minutes of control from Dawson, Almeida’s finish was as needed to boost UFC 302 as it was to reinvigorate his career.
Death, taxes, Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier having no clue how fights are scored.
Judging is far from perfect in MMA. Dave Tirelli displayed that much with his work on Saturday night. But equally as worrying as some unjustifiable scorecards is the utter tripe spouted by the UFC commentary team.
It’s nothing new. For years, the likes of Cormier and Dominick Cruz have shown that despite their illustrious fighting careers, they still have zero idea on what the judges are actually looking for. That’s left the latter believing a cut sustained in a later round could influence the scoring of an entire fight.
“DC,” meanwhile, is a serial offender when it comes to nonsense about control time, along with Rogan. They were at it again during UFC 302, suggesting that a near fight-ending choke and clean elbow from the bottom on the side of Joe Solecki wasn’t enough to overcome Grant Dawson’s control time, which came with limited offense.
That is, of course, not true.
The frustrating part here was that only one judge rewarded Solecki for a clear advantage in effective offense that could lead to the conclusion of the fight — as is laid out in the scoring criteria. The immediate weighs more than the cumulative, and that made round one clear for Solecki, in my eyes. Even if you are going to justify the round going to Dawson, you simply can’t do so by mentioning control time.
Oh, but how Rogan and Cormier’s tune changed when it was a Russian laying on top instead of an American.
Roman Kopylov followed his early success in the striking realm by smothering César Almeida on the ground. It was during this exchange when the pair stated that control time wasn’t enough and began discussing standups.
Wouldn’t be clear and obvious bias would it, boys?
The sooner Laura Sanko — the only commentator who seems willing to do her job correctly — is made a permanent fixture cageside, the better.
Negative – Gasper Oliver
I’ve seen some shoddy refereeing in my time, but what Gasper Oliver did at UFC 302 really takes the cake.
The main card opened with Randy Brown vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos. And in a further advert for the promotion’s new glove design, the Brazilian was the victim of a deep eye poke in round one.
Referee Oliver correctly separated the pair and paused the action. Seconds later, though, he randomly insisted the fight continue, denying Zaleski dos Santos any time to recover. When the capoeira specialist endured another poke shortly after, Oliver didn’t even go as far as to stop the bout.
Jason Herzog was fortunately on hand to educate the third man inside the Octagon between rounds, but referees requiring in-cage tuition isn’t exactly encouraging.
Welcome, Gasper Oliver, to the Kerry Hatley tier of officiating.
Gasper Oliver is only reffing until his screenplay gets picked up.
I’m sure whoever decided to bump Alex Morono vs. Niko Price 2 to the main card had their reasons. What those reasons are, however, is unclear.
Originally set for PPV was Almeida vs. Romanov. I’d normally be praising a late switch that saw heavyweights taken off the main slate, but what we got instead was a second chapter to a matchup that delivered an unenjoyable 15 minutes of viewing.
At this point in their careers, power is not something either Morono or Price have in spades. With that, as the pair fatigued and actually resembled the kind of slog I was concerned about seeing from the heavyweights, any vulnerability was offset by what looked to essentially be pillow-fisted punches.
The main card started well with an entertaining scrap from a pair of high-level welterweights. Insert the opposites of “entertaining” and “high-level” and you’ll have an accurate description of the main card’s sophomore bout.
Nothing makes you question your own brain quite like putting a grim injury down as a positive. That’s MMA, folks…
Kevin Holland by way of submission was a strong possibility heading into his short-notice middleweight return at UFC 302. But Holland by way of one of the most gruesome armbars in recent memory was not necessarily on many people’s bingo cards.
Things looked a little scary for “Trailblazer” when he was dropped by a hard Michał Oleksiejczuk left hand. But after he quickly got ahold of the Polish fighter’s arm (to which Oleksiejczuk had the reaction time of a tortoise), he quickly transitioned from on the ropes to on the ascendancy.
I’ll be honest, as Holland twisted his opponent’s arm in unnatural ways, I looked away. Through a gap in my fingers, I did see the moment Oleksiejczuk’s arm bent, snapped, hyperextended — whatever form of mangled it was in. The fact he still didn’t tap is ludicrous.
On a card that had just one finish up to that point, Holland’s quick and violent submission was a welcome moment of shock.
Should we really expect anything different when Sean Strickland fights?
Strickland is a perennial point-fighter, yet we hear shouts of “get ready for a bloodbath” and “we’re gonna go in that cage and try to kill each other for your entertainment” at every press conference.
At this point, can fans just laugh instead of cheer? Because the notion of “Tarzan” going in and brawling anyone is as likely as Joe Biden getting a walkout alongside Dana White at a UFC event.
But, Strickland is extremely good at what he does. No matter what comes back at him (in this instance, not much), it’s impossible not to give him credit for creating a style and implementing it well time and time again.
It’s just a shame that style is among the dullest in the UFC.
Dustin Poirier may not have completed his story in the way he and many had wished for, but the UFC 302 main event was not a bad way to go out.
That’s if “The Diamond” has reached the end, of course. He was noncommittal post-fight as he came to terms with his third failed attempt at reaching the undisputed throne in the UFC lightweight division.
Of his championship performances, none were more impressive than his effort in Newark. “The Diamond’s” improvements since being submitted by Khabib Nuyrmagomedov and Charles Oliveira was evident, and he certainly had Makhachev on the ropes at times.
The Russian standout, however, proved to be too good. And while some choose to detract from his reign owing to the competitive nature of Saturday’s headliner, Makhachev’s performance was more than impressive.
That’s not least on the feet, where the champ pieces Poirier up at times with beautiful combinations. The Makhachev and Khabib debate rages on, but there’s little doubt who has the edge on the feet.
Ultimately, Poirier fell victim to an ankle pick and D’arce choke late on. But after a valiant performance in defeat, the Louisianan cemented himself as a legend of the sport who doesn’t need the undisputed crown on his résumé to deserve top plaudits.
Oh, and after a lackluster event, what a way to finish things off.
While the bantamweight gold was on the line at the venue 13 months ago, this weekend saw Islam Makhachev stake his lightweight title against fan favorite Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier.
Elsewhere on the lineup, Kevin Holland made a successful short-notice return to 185 pounds, Randy Brown made a push for the welterweight rankings at the expense of Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos, and Jailton Almeida secured a rebound win following his first UFC loss earlier this year.
With the event concluded, see below for the best photos from UFC 302.
In the main attraction, American fan favorite Dustin Poirier hoped to finish his story by checking the final box in his career. Standing in his way of an undisputed lightweight title crowning at the third time of trying, however, was a formidable force in Islam Makhachev.
The Dagestani champion left the crowd disappointed by submitting Poirier in the fifth round of a memorable headliner. In doing so, he tied his mentor, the great Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Benson Henderson for title defenses by notching his third at UFC 302.
The Number One P4P continues his reign 🏆@MAKHACHEVMMA defeats Dustin Poirier by submission to REMAIN the lightweight champion of the world!
All eyes were also on the co-headliner, as former middleweight titleholder Sean Strickland competed for the first time since being unseated from the throne by the barest of margins this past January in Toronto. After being denied an immediate rematch with Dricus Du Plessis, “Tarzan” staked his claim for a title shot by stalling the ambitions of Paulo Costa in a lackluster five-round affair.
Before those matchups, the likes of Kevin Holland, Niko Price, Randy Brown, Roman Kopylov, Jailton Almeida, and Bassil Hafez all had their hands raised.
With the event concluded, check out the full results below, followed by some of the highlights!
UFC 302: Makhachev vs. Poirier Results & Highlights
Main Card:
Lightweight Championship Main Event: Islam Makhachev def. Dustin Poirier via submission (D’arce choke): R5, 2:42
Middleweight Co-Main Event: Sean Strickland def. Paulo Costa via split decision (50-45, 46-49, 49-46)
Middleweight: Kevin Holland def. Michał Oleksiejczuk via submission (armbar): R1, 1:34
Welterweight: Niko Price def. Alex Morono via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Welterweight: Randy Brown def. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Preliminary Card:
Middleweight: Roman Kopylov def. César Almeida via unanimous decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Heavyweight: Jailton Almeida def. Alexandr Romanov via submission (rear-naked choke): R1, 2:27
Lightweight: Grant Dawson def. Joe Solecki via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Welterweight: Jake Matthews def. Phil Rowe via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Early Preliminary Card:
Welterweight: Bassil Hafez def. Mickey Gall via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Headlining UFC 302, Poirier is tasked with bringing an end to the reign of Islam Makhachev, a feat that then-featherweight kingpin Alexander Volkanovski failed to achieve in two attempts last year.
The co-main event also boasts considerable stakes, as former middleweight titleholder Sean Strickland looks to remain within touching distance of the belt. Having missed out on an immediate rematch with Dricus Du Plessis, “Tarzan” must stall the ambitions of Paulo Costa, who is facing the prospect of a long journey back up the ladder should he move to 0-2 in 2024.
Also on the lineup, fan favorite Kevin Holland makes the walk as a middleweight once again, top 10 heavyweight contender Jailton Almeida completes a quick turnaround following his first UFC loss this past March, and Randy Brown looks to open the PPV main card in style opposite Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos.
To prepare yourself for tonight’s event, catch up on the latest betting odds here, look back on the faceoffs from Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins here, and follow along with the results and highlights here, live from 6:15 PM ET.
MMA Community Gives Final Thoughts On UFC 302: ‘Poirier By Guillotine!’
UFC 302 will get underway shortly, meaning the buildup and time for talking is almost over.
The MMA community is sure to be locked in and engaged in hot discussion over the events that unfold in the coming hours, but throughout today, plenty have been getting in their late predictions and final thoughts on the momentous occasion.
Dustin could cause one of the biggest upsets in UFC history tonight – unlikely, but what a picture perfect finish to a hall of fame worthy career. #ufc302
Dustin knocks Islam out. Becomes champ for the first time. Leaves the belt and his gloves in the center of the octagon. Rides off into the sunset. #ufc302
UFC 302 headliner Islam Makhachev left a path of destruction in his wake en route to having gold wrapped around his waist for the first time in mixed martial arts’ premier promotion.
Makhachev had long been touted as a likely successor to his friend, coach, and mentor, the great Khabib Nurmagomedov. A 10-fight win streak that included victories over Arman Tsarukyan, Drew Dober, and Dan Hooker, as well as main event triumphs at the expense of Thiago Moisés and Bobby Green, eventually landed the Dagestani his first shot in 2022.
With the vacant gold on the line, Makhachev made the most of it at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi, where he dropped and submitted Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira. He’s since cemented his grip on the crown with two successful defenses at the expense of then-featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski.
Ahead of Saturday’s event, the promotion looked back on Makhachev’s journey to title success at 155 pounds in a video on its official YouTube channel.
There remains plenty for Makhachev to achieve inside the Octagon, and by the sounds of things, that includes potential two-division supremacy down the line.
But before turning his attention to the welterweight division and Leon Edwards’ championship belt, the Dagestani standout still has some work to do at lightweight, starting against Poirier on June 1.
The planned boxing showdown between YouTuber-turned-pugilist Jake Paul and former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson won’t be going ahead this summer.
Paul and Tyson were due to do battle at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on July 20, headlining the very first live combat sports event to be broadcast on the Netflix streaming platform.
The bout immediately drew controversy upon its announcement owing to the three-decade age disparity between the former Disney star and the boxing legend, who will be 58 by the time the originally planned fight date rolls around.
That issue, revealed to be ulcer flare-ups, has now caused a postponement.
Netflix took to social media to announce the news, noting that the matchup will be kept together and instead take place toward the end of the year. The venue is expected to remain the same.
Unfortunately Jake Paul and Mike Tyson will not face-off on July 20 as planned. Tyson’s recent ulcer flare up has limited his ability to train fully for the next few weeks.
The fight will be rescheduled for a date later this year after Mike’s able to resume training with no… pic.twitter.com/fvXg4ccnYE
“Unfortunately Jake Paul and Mike Tyson will not face-off on July 20 as planned. Tyson’s recent ulcer flare up has limited his ability to train fully for the next few weeks. The fight will be rescheduled for a date later this year after Mike’s able to resume training with no limitations and both fighters can have equal time to prepare for this once-in-a-lifetime matchup! Stay tuned for the new fight date to be announced by the end of next week.”
The postponement comes after the pair had already completed a brief media tour promoting the now-scrapped summer clash in “The Lone Star State.”
Reacting to the news in a statement posted by his Most Valuable Promotions, Paul backed the decision to delay the match until Tyson is able to resume full training following his health issues.
“I fully support postponing the event so Mike Tyson has no excuses come fight night,” Paul said. “My fans know I don’t want to face ‘Iron Mike’ at anything but his best, but let there be no mistake – when he steps into the ring with me, I will be ready to claim my W with a sensational finish. Paul vs Tyson will be one for the ages, and I promise to bring my best for this once-in-a-lifetime matchup.”
It appears the cancellation will also lead to a delay for the undercard fights, including the planned co-headlining championship rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano.
