Makhachev and Poirier favorites to headline UFC 302 in Newark
The UFC keeps announcing the cities that will host the next events and New Jersey has been the last one to be chosen by Dana White.
The UFC president, Dana White, recently revealed that Perth, Australia, will host the UFC 305 event that will take place on August 18, while Newark, New Jersey, will hold UFC 302. None of the events have official headliners yet, but there are two favorites. Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier challenged each other on social media to fight for the lightweight belt on June 1, and it seems they will be the chosen ones to feature in the main event.
“We’re heading back to the Garden State!”, the UFC shared on X. The company keeps placing the upcoming events: Brazil, the United States, Australia, and rumors about the United Kingdom... There are not many PPV events left and Spain hasn’t received any offer so that Ilia Topuria can defend his featherweight belt.
The Spanish-Georgian fighter will have to be patient. The UFC may land in Spain, but it’s still not easy, although it may finally happen in 2025.
Machkachev vs Poirier, a fight fans want to see
Newark is the chosen city for UFC 302 and Makhachev and Poirier would be the mixed martial artists to fight in the card’s main event. The American shined at UFC 298 when he knocked out Benoit Saint Denis in a fight full of intensity and submission attempts, and he asked for a fight for the title that the Russian soon after accepted.
Although Khabib’s disciple thinks Poirier doesn’t deserve the fight, he wants to step into the octagon as soon as possible, and believes that The Diamond is the “only option”, a statement that Poirier didn’t like at all. The Lafayette native is one of the company’s legends and the third-ranked fighter in the lightweight division.
The potential showdown has attracted all fight fans. Makhachev has defended his crown twice, but none were against a lightweight fighter. He defeated Alexander Volkanovski the two times they met. The Australian was by then the featherweight king, who tried to win the belt in a new category (lightweight), and some fans haven’t given him credit for that.
Poirier seems to be the perfect opponent. He’s one of the most veteran and proven fighters, with 30 fights in the UFC, and has been the only one to knock out Conor McGregor (in Conor’s prime), submit Michael Chandler, and finish Max Holloway. Moreover, he was the division’s interim champion. A clash against Makhachev would certainly be one of the best of the year.