After a short break, fight fans are treated to a PPV event live from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, United States. Headlined by the anticipated return of lightweight king Islam Makhachev and rounded out by a bevy of ranked elites, UFC 302 is poised to kick off the month of June strong.
With two title defenses to his name and having definitively put away Alexander Volkanovski last October, it is same to say Islam Makhachev is beginning to settle into championship form. Renowned for his wrestling ability, Makhachev has been demonstrating starkly improved striking in recent outings and is clearly developing all aspects of his game at a rapid pace. His takedowns are notable for good reason but with a submission win over Charles Oliveira and a knockout over Volkanovski, the well-rounded Makhachev is forming into a deadly weapon everywhere. Long removed from the singular defeat of his career, Makhachev has developed into a tightly structured, intelligent fighter under the tutelage of Abdulmanap, and later Khabib Nurmagomedov. In fact, a victory this weekend will allow Makhachev to obtain the UFC record for longest win streak at lightweight (13) – a record he currently ties Khabib for. Looking to spoil the party will be Dustin Poirier, a longtime veteran who requires very little introduction. With an upset win over Benoit St. Denis notched just two months ago, Poirier wasted little time in getting back to elite business. A dogged fighter to the core, Poirier brings a couple of unique tools to this contest besides raw toughness. First, his heavy hands keep him relevant in any fight, particularly as his boxing has improved to the elite. He maintains a relatively heavy work rate and is unafraid of a war, but trends successfully when he drags his opponents into those kind of slug fests. Beyond that, Poirier’s well-known love for the guillotine will be seen once again in this contest. A shot in the dark given the track records of both men, but Poirier will have opportunities to seek out guillotines. He may have a difficult time getting back to his feet or faring successfully on the mat in extended exchanges, so any offense will need to be quick and decisive whether wrought with strikes or submissions. The deck is stacked against Poirier here and he is acutely aware of it. Despite admitting to focusing on anti-wrestling and getting back to his feet if taken down, it is a tall task to expect much solidity on that front against a devastating takedown threat in Makhachev. Though he won’t entirely enjoy a striking contest, Makhachev has developed well past the novice ways that got him starched in 2015. In his first unique opponent since 2022, look for Makhachev to ramp up his offense and close the show over a determined but physically overwhelmed challenger.
The title reign of Sean Strickland was a short one. 3-0 in 2023 paved the way to Strickland’s unlikely grasp of the middleweight belt; a huge moment in the career of a longtime veteran. One day past his 10-year anniversary in the UFC, Strickland has steadily improved in that time and is unquestionably outputting his best at this point. Strickland had only been in action once this year, losing his title to the unorthodox and borderline inexplicable Dricus Du Plessis. Despite the defeat, the American fighter stands to match up well at UFC 302 in a scheduled five-round bout. Notable for his deep gas tank and steady work rate, Strickland will benefit greatly from the expanded duration if he can survive the early minutes against Paulo Costa. Well-known for his “secret juice” as well as his explosive power, Costa has struggled to find consistency since a 2019 slobber-knocker with Yoel Romero. 1-3 since, Costa continues to bring an imposing aesthetic and heavy strikes to every fight but fails to maintain that offensive devastation down the stretch. In what may end up being a stark contrast of styles and temperament, Costa will be running on borrowed time to get the job done before being overwhelmed. History has proven full length fights to be miserable experiences for Costa and the high-volume efforts of Strickland will only compound those issues. The first round may be wrought with tension as Costa seeks to establish meaningful offense before he is reduced to heavy, intermittent swings. Look for Strickland to pull away from there, piling on points and testing the waters of a late finish over a wilted Brazilian.
Despite only being 31-years-old, Kevin Holland has lived a career long enough for several people. Before he even entered the UFC, he already had notable names and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champions on his resume. Since making his UFC debut in 2018, Holland has been a popular mainstay in the organization with an excellent resume, to boot. The betting favorite this weekend, Holland is on a two-fight skid and was frankly dominated by Michael Page only two months ago. Though he survived the duration, Holland stole little success in a kickboxing match with Page. Not one to shy from a war, Holland will be matching up at UFC 302 with another hearty striker in Michal Oleksiejczuk. The native of Poland is 1-2 in his last three outings but has been losing to a high caliber of competition. Fairly durable and unafraid of striking exchanges with anyone, Oleksiejczuk is a bit of a divisional dark horse. Though his UFC record stands at an unassuming 7-5, his level of opposition has been relatively strong and his improvements in recent years have been evident. Now faced with a more willing opponent, Oleksiejczuk has an opportunity to seize a big win over a fan favorite. The southpaw owns sharp timing and more than enough power in his left hand to startle Holland. Despite the relatively wide betting odds, this one may be surprisingly tense. Oleksiejczuk isn’t afraid to stand his ground and Holland has long been a vocal supporter of entertaining fights that earn bonuses; this one has all the makings of a great fight for as long as it lasts.
6-1 in the UFC, Almeida suffered his first organizational defeat two months ago when he squared off with top contender Curtis Blaydes. Though Almeida controlled the first round with a stifling wrestling attack, his nasty habit of neglecting damage output came back to haunt him in the second round. Almeida is a strong fighter from top position and his wrestling has clearly made some progression in recent years, but he is still essentially a one-trick pony at this point in his career. The Brazilian is an excellent grappler but maintains a style reliant on clean grappling and his opponent making mistakes. Without ground and pound in his arsenal, Almeida has been finding less opportunities to force errors out of foes who know he will not assert his strength. A clear betting favorite to get back to winning ways, Almeida has no easy task ahead of him in Alexander Romanov. The representative of Moldova is 6-2 in the UFC overall and this weekend stands as an important opportunity for Romanov to get back on track. A decision win over Blagoy Ivanov last year helped regain some momentum, but Romanov has a lot to prove after disappointing showings against Marcin Tybura and Alexander Volkov. A physically imposing fighter with excellent skills from top position, Romanov brings extensive freestyle wrestling experience into the cage and has utilized it greatly in the past. Particularly strong in clinches, Romanov may actually find a favorable match-up with Almeida, who likes to shoot and drive forward. This often results in standstills and tie-ups against the cage – an area from which Romanov will be able to unload offense and fish for his own takedowns. Almeida proves an intriguingly frustrating figure in the heavyweight picture, but continues to show a lack of well-rounded skill that will breach the elite. Romanov is on that cusp, capable of breaking into the upper echelon once again with an upset win when it matters most.
At 33-years-old and after eight years in the UFC, things look to be stabilizing for Randy Brown. Known as “Rude Boy”, the Jamaican representative has notched wins in his last two, as well as six of his last seven. Brown owns a base in boxing and has been getting back to his roots, finding a home for his hands once more. A stoppage victory over the durable Muslim Salikhov helps prove Brown’s improvements, and he is favored to once again notch a victory at UFC 302. Sharing the characteristics of a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and a passion for striking, Elizeu Zaleski will find a ready and willing opponent this weekend. Zaleski was last in action against Rinat Fakhretdinov, slugging it out in a brutal 15-minute contest ultimately declared a draw. Zaleski is riding a two-fight win streak into this contest but at 37-years-old, he is showing signs of a long career. There is something to be said about his diverse attacks and sharp kicks but Zaleski is no longer in the prime of his career and is liable to struggle with the speed, power, and athleticism of Randy Brown. Without wrestling to fall back on against a dangerous striker in Brown, options will be limited for Zaleski. The older man who has been getting hurt with increased frequency, Zaleski’s success is likely to wane the longer this fight goes on. Look for Brown to establish his dominance early, stand his ground, and take Zaleski out at the first opportunity.
Makhachev v Poirier: Makhachev Wins By KO/TKO or Submission @ $1.50
Strickland v Costa: Strickland Wins By KO/TKO @$2.75
Holland v v Oleksiejczuk: Oleksiejczuk @$3.60
Almeida v Romanov: Romanov Wins By KO/TKO @6.00
Brown v Zaleski: Brown Wins By KO/TKO @$4.25
Almeida v Kopylov: Almeida Wins By KO/TKO @ $3.50
Dawson v Solecki: Dawson Wins By Decision @$1.17
Matthews v Rowe: Matthews Wins By Decision @$2.65
Morono v Price: Morono By KO/TKO @$3.20
Hafez v Gall: Hafez Wins By KO/TKO @$4.20
Perez v Edwards: Perez Wins By Decision @$2.00
Lima v Raposo: Lima Head To Head @$1.36