New Jersey will host a UFC pay-per-view event for the first time in a year when UFC 302 heads to the Prudential Center on June 1. Islam Makhachev defends the UFC lightweight title against Dustin Poirier.
Makhachev is a multiple Combat Sambo gold medalist trained by former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. The Russian has a record of 14-1 in the UFC and a streak of thirteen consecutive victories. He has defended the title twice since he won it in 2022, defeating former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.
Poirier joined the UFC in 2011 and is 22-7 with one no-contest in the octagon. The former UFC interim lightweight champion is 2-2 in his last four fights. “The Diamond” last fought in March, knocking out rising contender Benoit Saint-Denis in a fight in which he was the big loser.
The co-main event will see former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland take on former contender Paulo Costa. It will be a rare non-title five-round co-main event.
LOOK: UFC 302: Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier, exclusively on ESPN+
The event also features fan favorite Kevin Holland, locals Randy Brown and Mickey Gall, and a top contender in Jailton Almeida.
Here are SN’s official picks for each fight on the card, along with full betting odds for UFC 302, courtesy of MGM Bet.
