UFC 302 storylines — Makhachev’s subsequent large take a look at and new glove debut

Just a little over a month in the past, followers witnessed one of the vital dynamic combat playing cards within the historical past of combined martial arts. That festive night time was a tough act to observe, so it is honest to say the game has been experiencing a little bit of a UFC 300 hangover.

However this weekend brings a mild antidote.

UFC 302, which fits down Saturday in Newark, New Jersey (ESPN+ PPV, 10 p.m. ET), is nowhere close to as stacked from high to backside as April’s milestone occasion, however the headline attraction is pretty much as good because it will get. The pound-for-pound king, Islam Makhachev, will defend his light-weight championship towards a longtime luminary of the load class, Dustin Poirier. It is a combat that wants no added promoting factors however nonetheless has one: Poirier, at age 35, will doubtless be making his ultimate bid for gold.

Whereas UFC 302 does not boast wall-to-wall star energy, there’s intrigue up and down the combat lineup. Listed here are some storylines that we’ll get to see play out.

Simply getting began vs. a attainable grand finale

Light-weight championship: Islam Makhachev (c) vs. Dustin Poirier

It might be foolhardy to assert that Makhachev (25-1) has had it straightforward throughout his 20-month reign with the 155-pound belt. His first title protection, in any case, got here towards the consensus No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter on the time. However whereas Alexander Volkanovski was a fellow champion, he reigned in a division 10 kilos south at featherweight. Their February 2023 superfight was tightly contested, and when Makhachev received the judges’ nod, that boosted him as much as the P4P peak. Eight months later, in a rematch, he solidified his top-shelf standing by knocking out Volkanovski within the first spherical.

Each had been big-time performances, however now it is time for Makhachev, winner of 13 fights in a row, to lastly combat somebody his personal dimension. And there is a lengthy line of fearsome 155-pounders assembled behind Poirier, ready for his or her crack on the belt.

Poirier (30-8, 1 NC) is totally appreciative of the preciousness of this chance, as a result of he is been right here earlier than. In 2019, he challenged Khabib Nurmagomedov, a longtime good friend and coaching associate of Makhachev, for the light-weight belt and misplaced by submission. Two years later, in a second try on the title, Poirier was tapped out by Charles Oliveira. These defeats together with final 12 months’s knockout by the hands — shin to move, really — of Justin Gaethje led to UFC matchmakers casting Poirier in a gatekeeper position. “The Diamond” responded by slamming the gate within the face of rising younger contender Benoît Saint Denis in March. That knockout earned Poirier this one final shot.

Poirier has not come out and mentioned that is his ultimate combat, however he has questioned whether or not he’d have the need to construct one other championship run if he falls brief this time. And if Saturday sees him lastly succeed at making it to the very high of the game, may he take his belt and go dwelling — for good? If he does stroll off into the sundown, Poirier will depart behind a memorable legacy under no circumstances outlined by the 2 failed title pictures. He received an interim belt in 2019 and owns victories over a number of who’ve worn UFC championship straps: Anthony Pettis, Eddie Alvarez, Max Holloway and Conor McGregor twice. Poirier already has completed himself and his sport proud, however Saturday might be a wonderful fruits.

A large step down

Heavyweight: Jailton Almeida vs. Alexandr Romanov

Dropping isn’t the top of the world in MMA. Not like in boxing, the place the younger careers of potential contenders are fastidiously curated, cage fighters seldom stay unblemished for lengthy. Losses are a part of the sport. And but there are penalties.

For Almeida (20-3), a knockout defeat to Curtis Blaydes in March was a momentum stopper. Earlier than his six-year, 15-fight successful streak led to a combat that Almeida was successful proper up till he wasn’t, the large Brazilian gave the impression to be near the entrance of the road amongst heavyweights. (That is a doubtful place to be, in fact, with the queue at a standstill because of a Jon Jones harm and the UFC’s insistence on having “Bones” return towards an out-of-mothballs Stipe Miocic.) After Almeida’s loss, matchmaking priorities appeared to shift.

Almeida initially was slated to face fellow top-10 heavyweight Alexander Volkov on this card, however Volkov was moved to a June 22 matchup with fellow contender Sergei Pavlovich. Almeida was rebooked with Romanov, who has misplaced two of his final three fights, together with a first-round KO by Volkov. Romanov (17-2) is a number of rungs down the ladder, however he is no pushover as a grappler. Almeida has work to do.

Can Holland steal the present as soon as once more?

Middleweight: Kevin Holland vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk

Some fighters are fan favorites due to their greatness as opponents, however others are crowd pleasers merely due to how they combat, win or lose. Robbie Lawler and the lately retired Matt Brown come to thoughts. Nick and Nate Diaz, too. Conor McGregor, even setting apart all of the prefight razzmatazz, is entertaining in the best way he performs contained in the cage.

Holland belongs someplace in that group, and I am certain he would inform us so, whether or not or not we ask. The person loves to speak, not within the faux trashy verbiage we normally hear in MMA, however in endearingly daft operating commentaries throughout his fights that make me want the printed analysts would shush for a minute and let me hearken to the man Dana White calls “Large Mouth.” White is amongst these Holland has been identified to speak to whereas the UFC boss is sitting cageside, and the identical goes for the cageside announcers (“DC, the place’s my wrestling recommendation at?”).

And let’s not neglect what Holland can pull off as a fighter. His 2020 knockout of “Jacare” Souza — from a seated place — is likely one of the most astounding finishes in UFC historical past. At different occasions, Holland seems to be misplaced in there. His outcomes are inconsistent, however this man is at all times price watching.

Chunk sufferer is again for a combat

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Igor Severino DQ’d for biting, Andre Lima stays undefeated

Andre Lima wins after Igor Severino is disqualified for biting within the second spherical.

Males’s flyweight: Mitch Raposo vs. Andre Lima

The final time we noticed Lima, he received his UFC debut in one of many strangest outcomes ever. He and a fellow undefeated debutant, Igor Severino, had been locked in an all-action scrap in March when, throughout a clinch towards the cage, Lima all of a sudden recoiled and motioned to the referee. Severino had bit him on the higher arm, forsaking clear proof within the type of enamel marks. Severino was disqualified disqualified by the ref and launched by the UFC.

Lima (8-0) returns Saturday, opening the present towards Raposo (9-1). Initially, Lima was booked to face a fighter from the “Street to UFC” present, who then was changed by a unique competitor from the promotion’s Asian expertise search sequence. Lastly, simply final week, Raposo was introduced on. One may say discovering an opponent for Lima was like pulling enamel. Sorry.

Will the glove get love?

UFC 302 would be the formal debut of latest fighter gloves, which the promotion introduced final month had been designed to, amongst different issues, scale back the variety of eye pokes.

Though any foul contained in the cage is usually a sport changer, eye pokes are particularly problematic, in that their lingering impact can rob fighters of the imaginative and prescient essential to defend themselves for the remainder of a bout. A 2021 examine by researchers led by a Yale ophthalmologist discovered that MMA fighters who maintain a watch harm within the first spherical go on to lose 74% of the time. Not all of these eye accidents are the results of pokes, in fact, however anecdotally now we have seen many combat outcomes immediately impacted by a finger within the eye. A 2022 examine by the Affiliation of Ringside Physicians discovered that eye pokes occurred in 10% of UFC bouts.

The brand new glove was examined covertly in “Dana White’s Contender Sequence” fights, however now the UFC is offering a real proving floor. Will the redesign be a hit?