The UFC is blessing its fans with a great title fight to start June in style. Islam Makhachev will defend his Lightweight Championship title against Dustin Poirier in UFC 302, which will take place at the Prudential Center, Newark, United States, on June 1. This will be a clash of different styles, so it should be an exciting fight.
Islam Makhachev will be looking to follow his mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and defend his title successfully against Dustin Poirier, who is a former interim Lightweight champion himself. This will be the 7th main event for the Diamond and the 4th for Makhachev. The UFC 302 full fight card is stacked with a lot of good matchups, as the co-main event will be between Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa, while Jailton Almeida will take on Alexander Romanov.
| ℹ️ Event: | UFC 302 Main Event, for Lightweight Championship title |
| 🏟️ Venue: | Prudential Center, Newark, United States |
| 🗓️ Date: | 1 June 2024 |
| ⏰ Time: | From 4:00 AM GMT on Sunday |
This Lightweight Championship title fight is expected to be a crazy one, and here’s what the best live UFC betting odds are spread for the Makhachev vs Poirier bout:
The best MMA betting odds are backing Islam Makhachev to get an easy win in this fight. The Russian fighter is given odds of 1.20 (1/5) after he successfully defended his title in his last two fights. The Diamond Dustin Poirier still shouldn’t be underestimated with odds of 5.80 (24/5), as he is always a dangerous opponent to face and is full of surprises.
Islam Makhachev is at his peak in his MMA career. He has an impressive 25-1 record, as his only loss came to Adriano Martins nine years ago. Makhachev is on a 13-fight winning streak right now, which shows how much he has improved over the years. Islam had two fights in 2023, and both were against Alexander Volkanovski, as these were the first two title defense bouts for the Russian fighter, and he won both of them.
It’s well known that Islam Makhachev’s strength comes from his ground grappling game, which is also one of Dustin Poirier’s weaknesses. The Russian fighter is a dominant wrestler, and he will put relentless pressure on the Diamond. Islam comes into this game with much more confidence as well, as he is on a 13-fight winning streak and in better form. At the same time, one should understand that his two victories over the Volk, who is naturally in the lower weight class, came at the decline period for the Australian.
Dustin Poirier’s career has been up and down in the last period, as he has won two of his last four fights. Unlike Makhachev, the Diamond has had one fight this year already. Poirier beat Benoit Saint Denis in March as a big underdog, and he went up to #4 on the lightweight rankings with that win. Dustin has a 30-8 (1 NC) MMA record, and he will be looking to win his first Lightweight Championship title fight.
Dustin Poirier will put a lot of pressure on Makhachev as long as the fight is not on the ground. The Diamond has great striking abilities that make him a constant threat to Islam when they are standing. Poirier has a lot of experience inside the octagon, having beaten fighters like Justin Gaethje and Conor McGregor before, but he will need to bring his best performance to beat the Russian fighter.
Our UFC 302 betting tips for the main event are ready, as we can’t get a bigger fight than this for the UFC Lightweight Championship title. The best overseas betting sites have Makhachev as a big favorite, and here are our Islam Makhachev vs Dustin Poirier predictions:
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Islam Makhachev’s ground game will give him a superior advantage in this fight. The Russian fighter has the potential to finish the bout with a choke or joint lock, especially since two of the last three Dustin Poirier losses were by submission. Makhachev isn’t really a striker, but his striking defense is very good, and if he manages to get the Diamond on the ground, then he can definitely make him submit.
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Both fighters always have aggressive game plans, as Islam Makhachev has finished four of his last five fights in the first two rounds and went under the total. Dustin Poirier’s chances of winning will be to knock out Islam early. The longer the fight goes on, the better Makhachev will be on the ground. Dustin has finished a lot of his fights via knockouts in the first round, while Makhachev tends to finish his bouts early as well.
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Yes, we are expecting this fight to end in the early rounds, but the odds on this pick are enticing, considering that Dustin Poirier could withstand the pressure from Makhachev for a little longer. The Diamond lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov in round 3 of their Lightweight Championship title bout, so it’s possible for him to keep the fight going until the 3rd or 4th round, but Islam Makhachev should still be able to get the win in the end.
Dustin Poirier is definitely a scary fighter on his day, but Islam Makhachev has been much more consistent historically and should get the win. Make sure to take advantage of the betting bonuses on the live sports betting sites to have more fun watching the event.
