UFC 302 Main card and prelims: Matchups, start times, and schedule
Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier will headline an event with other exciting clashes. Here’s all the info on the complete card.
Another great week of combat sports is just around the corner, as fans will be able to enjoy some boxing matches, including the Deontay Wilder vs Zhilei Zhang, and the UFC 302 card, with the Islam Makhachev vs Dustin Poirier main event battle.
Although UFC 300 will be difficult to match, this weekend’s event features some top-level fights with some of the best and most charismatic fighters of the world’s biggest MMA company.
UFC 302 main event: Makhachev vs Poirier
Without a doubt, the fight between the current lightweight champion and ‘The Diamond’ will be the star of the night.
The Dagestani (25-1) is a big favorite to retain his title, although Poirier (30-8-1) is one of the most aggressive and exciting fighters to watch and anything can happen if the Louisiana native is in top form.
Although he missed his two chances of becoming the division’s king against Charles Oliveira and Khabib Nurmagomedov, Poirier believes he has what it takes to pull off the upset and reign supreme once and for all. The former lightweight interim champion will have a third and maybe last chance to fight for the championship and will do whatever it takes to fulfill his dream.
However, Makhachev is a master in the ground game and one of the best submission artists in the UFC. He will likely try to take the fight to the mat and dominate from there. However, if anything can happen that’s in the mixed martial arts world, where a punch or an injury can completely change the outcome of a fight. Dustin knows he has the striking ability to land on Makhachev and finish the clash, but the question is whether he will be able to connect that shot.
Strickland, Costa & Holland, big names in the main card
But before the main event, fans will enjoy some of the world’s best fighting action with some of the most ruthless athletes.
Former middleweight champion Sean Strickland and Brazilian star Paulo Costa will go head-to-head in a difficult co-main fight to predict. The American is a proven fighter (28-6) who will try to bounce back from losing the title to Dricus du Plessis. His opponent, Costa, will try to use his strength and punching power to take Strickland out in one of the most awaited fights.
The controversial Kevin Holland will also return to action against Michal Oleksiejczuk while rising star Jailton Almeida will try to record his 21st win as a professional against the Moldovan Alexander Romanov.
More guaranteed action in the prelims & early prelims
A middleweight war is expected when Cesar Almeida and Roman Kopylov settle the score in the octagon. The Russian has a good record (12-3) while Almeida is undefeated as a professional (5-0), so a good fight is on the cards.
Three welterweight battles will take place between the prelims and early prelims, with the veterans Niko Price and Alex Morono colliding in one of the potentially most spectacular fights. UFC 302:
UFC 302: Complete card and times
Main card (Start time 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+ PPV)
- Lightweight championship: Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier
- Middleweight: Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa
- Middleweight: Kevin Holland vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
- Heavyweight: Jailton Almeida vs. Alexandr Romanov
- Welterweight: Randy Brown vs. Elizeu Zaleski Dos Santos
Prelims (Start time 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN+)
- Middleweight: Cesar Almeida vs. Roman Kopylov
- Lightweight: Grant Dawson vs. Joe Solecki
- Welterweight: Phil Rowe vs. Jake Matthews
- Welterweight: Niko Price vs. Alex Morono
Early prelims (Start time 6 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
- Welterweight: Mickey Gall vs. Bassil Hafez
- Women's bantamweight: Ailin Perez vs. Joselyn Edwards
- Flyweight: Mitch Raposo vs. Andre Lima