The UFC is in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday for UFC 302. In the main event, lightweight champion Islam Makhachev will defend his belt against former interim titleholder Dustin Poirier.
Makhachev is a heavy favorite at -600 for this 155-pound title fight. Poirier has moved all the way to +470 in underdog odds after opening at around +350 on most sportsbooks.
Makhachev vs. Poirier analysis
Makhachev (25-1) has not lost since a knockout defeat in his second UFC fight back in 2015. He took a slow path to the lightweight title but easily ran through champion Charles Oliveira to claim the belt in 2022. In that fight, he showed off his stand-up skills and punching power, highlighting his ability to do more than wrestle his way to wins.
Makhachev’s striking has come a long way in the last few years. He’s now a threat with his hands and his legs, which further opens up the takedown opportunities when he can back opponents into the fence.
Poirier (30-8) got this title shot only after top contender Arman Tsarukyan turned the bout down, citing the lack of sufficient training time between bouts. Poirier brings a lot of popularity and visibility to this event, but at 35 he would be the oldest fighter to win a UFC title fight in this weight class.
No one can doubt the knockout power in his hands at this point, but he’ll have those hands full fending off Makhachev’s takedowns. As always when Poirier fights, there’s the question of whether he’ll sacrifice position by going for the guillotine choke — a submission he has never successfully finished in a fight.
A full look at UFC 302 odds is below. We also have information about sportsbooks where you can bet on UFC fights.
UFC 302 odds and fight card
- Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier
- Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa
- Kevin Holland vs. Michael Oleksiejczuk
- Randy Brown vs. Elizeu dos Santos
- Caesar Almeida vs. Roman Kopylov
- Niko Price vs. Alex Morono
- Jailton Almeida vs. Alexander Romanov
- Grant Dawson vs. Joe Solecki
- Phil Rowe vs. Jake Matthews
- Tatsuro Taira vs. Joshua Van
- Joselyne Edwards vs. Ailin Perez
- Mickey Gall vs. Bassil Hafez
How to watch UFC 302
- Early prelims — 6 p.m. ET, Saturday, ESPN+
- Prelims — 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2, ESPN+
- Main card — 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+ pay-per-view
