UFC 302 LIVE: Poirier vs Makhachev fight updates and results as champion retains in final round
Re-live all the action after Dustin Poirier came up short against Islam Makhachev in their lightweight title fight
Dustin Poirier was denied a fairytale ending to his story in the Octagon on Saturday, as Islam Makhachev submitted the fan favourite to retain the lightweight title at UFC 302.
Poirier, 35, was fighting for the title for the third time, having previously suffered submission losses to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2019 and Charles Oliveira in 2021.
The American previously held the interim belt but failed to unify the gold, and he hinted before and after UFC 302 that he might not fight again.
Poirier did himself justice across four-and-a-half rounds against Makhachev, the UFC’s pound-for-pound No 1, but the Russian out-grappled Poirier for much of the bout and secured a D’Arce choke in the final frame. Poirier tapped out but also seemed to go unconscious immediately after – for a brief moment – as Makhachev recorded a third successful title defence.
In doing so, Makhachev matched the number of defences achieved by Khabib, his coach and childhood friend, who reigned from 2018 until his in-ring retirement in 2020. Re-live UFC 302 updates and see all results below.
Donald Trump sits ringside at UFC 302 after guilty verdict on felony counts
Donald Trump sat ringside at UFC 302 on Saturday, two days after a Manhattan jury found him guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
Trump became the first US president to be criminally convicted on Thursday (30 May), but said he would “continue to fight” the decision. He will have 30 days to do so following his sentencing on 11 July.
In the wake of the verdict, the former president attended UFC 302 in New Jersey, sitting ringside with UFC president Dana White – not for the first time.
Donald Trump sits ringside at UFC 302 after being found guilty on 34 felony counts
Trump became the first US president to be criminally convicted on Thursday, but said he would ‘continue to fight’ the decision
UFC 302 LIVE: Results in full
Islam Makhachev def. Dustin Poirier via fifth-round submission (D’Arce choke, 2:42)
Sean Strickland def. Paulo Costa via split decision (46-49, 50-45, 49-46)
Kevin Holland def. Oleksiejczuk via first-round technical submission (armbar, 1:34)
Niko Price def. Alex Morono via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Randy Brown def. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Prelims
Roman Kopylov def. Cesar Almeida via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Grant Dawson def. Joe Solecki via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Bassil Hafez def. Mickey Gall via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Ailin Perez def. Joselyne Edwards via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Andre Lima def. Mitch Raposo via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
Jake Matthews def. Phil Rowe via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
UFC 302 LIVE: Dustin Poirier vs Islam Makhachev
Our UFC 302 report in full:
Islam Makhachev denies Dustin Poirier fairytale ending with submission win at UFC 302
Poirier suggested he could retire after going 0-3 in undisputed title fights, as Makhachev retained the lightweight belt against the fan favourite
UFC 302 LIVE: Dustin Poirier vs Islam Makhachev
UFC 302 LIVE: Dustin Poirier vs Islam Makhachev
UFC 302 LIVE: Dustin Poirier vs Islam Makhachev
UFC 302 LIVE: Dustin Poirier vs Islam Makhachev
UFC 302 LIVE: Dustin Poirier vs Islam Makhachev
UFC 302 LIVE: Dustin Poirier vs Islam Makhachev
Makhachev commends Poirier and calls for a shot at the welterweight title next.
Leon Edwards defends the belt against Belal Muhammad in Manchester in August.
Also, lots of respect between Poirier and Makhachev, and Poirier and Khabib.
UFC 302 LIVE: Dustin Poirier vs Islam Makhachev
Poirier: “Yeah, man, he’s the champ. I thought I was chipping away. I stopped most of [his takedowns] in the open, but here he did a low single, an ankle pick and whipped my leg up. And that was that.
“If I do fight again, what am I fighting for? Just to fight? I think this could be it honestly, Joe,” he tells Joe Rogan.
“I’m not 100 per cent [sure], but if this is my last fight, I want to dedicate this to the people who made me the person I am today – the women in my life.”
He pays tribute to his late grandma, his mother, and shouts out his wife and daughter who are ringside.
“We alright, baby,” he says to his daughter. “Always chase your dreams, it’s a beautiful thing.”
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