Dana White confirmed that titleholder Islam Makhachev and number one contender Dustin Poirier will headline UFC 302 in Newark, New Jersey in a battle for the lightweight championship. But what about the rest of the card?
White also announced a co-main event bout between the always-polarizing Sean Strickland and a top middleweight contender Paulo Costa, with Strickland likely to earn a title shot in the middleweight division with a win.
The rest of the card is still taking shape, but the undefeated Cesar Almeida has been confirmed for the event along with rising star Jake Matthews. While the two won’t fight each other, their matches will provide MMA fans with a glimpse of the future.
The UFC announced brand new glove designs that will debut during the event as well, with Makhachev and Poirier becoming the first to don the all gold championship match mitts.
When is UFC 302?
UFC 302 will take place on June 1 in Newark, New Jersey. It marks the company’s second consecutive year at the Prudential Center after UFC 288 went down in N.J. in May 2023.
Dana White and Co. frequented New Jersey for much of the 2010s decade, but there was a significant lay off before UFC 288. Now, it’ll be a second year in a row that a numbered PPV makes its way to the state.
What time does UFC 302 begin?
Start times for Eastern Time, Pacific Time, and Greenwich Mean Time are included in the table below.
| Event | ET | PT | GMT |
| Early Prelims | 6 PM | 3 PM | 11 PM |
| Featured Prelims | 8 PM | 5 PM | 1 AM |
| Main Card | 10 PM | 7 PM | 3 AM |
UFC 302 main card & prelims
The UFC 302 fight card can be found in the table included below.
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| UFC 302 Main Card |
| UFC Lightweight Championship:(c) Islam Makhachev (26-1) vs Dustin Poirier (30-9)Winner: Islam Makhachev via submission |
| Sean Strickland (29-6) vs Paulo Costa (14-4)Winner: Sean Strickland via split decision |
| Kevin Holland (26-11) vs Michal Oleksiejczuk (19-8)Winner: Kevin Holland via submission |
| Niko Price (16-7) vs Alex Morono (24-10)Winner: Niko Price via unanimous decision |
| Randy Brown (19-5) vs Elizeu Zaleski Dos Santos (24-8-1)Winner: Randy Brown via unanimous decision |
| Feature Prelims |
| Cesar Almeida (5-1) vs Roman Kopylov (13-3)Winner: Roman Kopylov via split decision |
| Grant Dawson (21-2-1) vs Joe Solecki (13-5)Winner: Grant Dawson via unanimous decision |
| Phil Rowe (10-5) vs Jake Matthews (20-7)Winner: Jake Matthews via unanimous decision |
| Jailton Almeida (21-3) vs Alexandr Romanov (17-3)Winner: Jailton Almeida via submission |
| Early Prelims |
| Mickey Gall (7-6) vs Bassil Hafez (9-4-1)Winner: Bassil Hafez via unanimous decision |
| Ailin Perez (10-2) vs Joselyne Edwards (13-6)Winner: Ailin Perez via unanimous decision |
| Mitch Raposo (9-2) vs Andre Lima (9-0)Winner: Andre Lima via split decision |
Islam Makhachev makes his much-anticipated return to the octagon by defending his lightweight strap against long-time UFC star Dustin Poirier.
It’s a match of contrasting styles, as Makhachev thrives as a grappler and ground-and-pound artist, while Poirier is always seeking a lethal knockout blow.
On the prelims, Jake Matthews, a rising star from Australia, looks to notch the 20th victory in his still-young MMA career after losing to Michael Morales in his last showing.
Then, there’s the battle of two flyweight prospects — Mitch Raposo and Andre Lima. Raposo only has one fight under his belt in the UFC, while Lima has an unblemished 2-0 record with the promotion.
Lima has a chance to cement himself as a true contender for Alexandre Pantoja’s championship belt with another victory.
How do I watch UFC 302?
The early prelims are available on UFC Fight Pass, while the featured prelims will shift over to ESPN+. Viewers must purchase UFC 302 through the ESPN+ app for $79.99 to access the main card.
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