UFC 302: Makhachev vs. Poirier | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Conor McBragger
- 4 hours ago
- 5 min read
Introduction
UFC 302: Makhachev vs. Poirier took place on Saturday, June 1, 2024 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Islam Makhachev retained the UFC lightweight title by submitting Dustin Poirier with an arm-triangle choke at 4:07 of round five — one of the most competitive title fights of Makhachev's reign, after Poirier had the champion genuinely hurt in round five. The card produced an estimated 700,000 pay-per-view buys.
Poirier had been the biggest long-shot of Makhachev's three title defenses. He entered as a +350 underdog with a 29-8 career record, a history of title-shot losses (Khabib at UFC 242, Oliveira at UFC 269), and no MMA wrestling pedigree against the consensus #1 wrestler in the division. He nearly pulled it off. In round five, Poirier landed a clean right hand at 2:30 that wobbled Makhachev for the first time in his championship reign — the champion stumbled backward. Poirier pressed. But Makhachev recovered, clinched, worked to the canvas, and submitted Poirier at 4:07.
Contents
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, June 1, 2024
📍 Venue: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey, USA
👥 Attendance: 19,511 (full capacity)
💰 Gate: $7.8 million
📺 PPV Buys: ~700,000
🏆 Main Event: Islam Makhachev (c) vs. Dustin Poirier — UFC Lightweight Championship (155 lbs)
✅ Result: Makhachev def. Poirier via Submission (arm-triangle choke) — R5, 4:07
🥇 Co-Main: Sean Strickland def. Paulo Costa via Unanimous Decision (30-27 ×3) — Middleweight
The Build-Up
Islam Makhachev was defending the lightweight title for the third time — having previously defended against Volkanovski (UFC 284 UD) and Volkanovski again (UFC 294 KO R1). Dustin Poirier earned the title shot via his TKO of Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299 in March 2024. Makhachev was a -500 favourite; Poirier was +350.
The fight was Poirier's third UFC lightweight title shot (Khabib, Oliveira, Makhachev) — a career-spanning trilogy of title attempts against three different generations of lightweight champions. At 35, Poirier was the oldest challenger Makhachev had faced and widely assumed to be the least competitive on paper. The pre-fight narrative focused entirely on whether Poirier's boxing could create enough early chaos before Makhachev's wrestling took over.
Main Event: Makhachev vs. Poirier
Rounds one through three were Makhachev's. The champion used his clinch wrestling and his takedown volume to control the canvas — two takedowns per round, sustained ground-and-pound, consistent control time. Poirier's boxing was sharp on the feet but Makhachev's takedown sequences were too efficient. By the end of round three, Makhachev led clearly on all cards.
Round four was Poirier's most competitive. He stuffed two takedown attempts, pressed forward with sustained combinations, and landed a clean left hook at 3:30 that made Makhachev clinch. Poirier's volume in round four was his highest of the fight; the judges had it 10-9 Poirier.
Round five was the fight's defining moment. At 2:30, Poirier landed a clean right hand that genuinely wobbled Makhachev — the champion stumbled backward for the first time in his UFC championship career. Poirier pressed with combinations; Makhachev clinched at the cage, worked to the canvas, and established an arm-triangle position at 3:30. Poirier defended for 37 seconds before tapping at 4:07.
Islam Makhachev retained the lightweight title for the third time. Dustin Poirier announced his retirement from MMA after the fight, closing one of the most decorated careers in lightweight history without a UFC title. He rescinded the retirement months later but has not competed again through mid-2025.
Co-Main Event: Strickland vs. Costa
Sean Strickland dominated three rounds of middleweight striking. Costa pressed forward with his power punching but Strickland's combination volume was too consistent to allow the Brazilian any sustained momentum. Final scorecards: 30-27, 30-27, 30-27. Strickland's dominant win confirmed his top-three middleweight status despite losing the title to du Plessis at UFC 297. The win positioned him for the du Plessis rematch at UFC 312.
Full Results
Main Card (Pay-Per-View)
Islam Makhachev (c) def. Dustin Poirier — Submission (arm-triangle choke) — R5, 4:07 — Lightweight Title
Sean Strickland def. Paulo Costa — Unanimous Decision (30-27 ×3) — Middleweight
Charles Oliveira def. Beneil Dariush — Submission (rear-naked choke) — R2 — Lightweight
Bo Nickal def. Paul Craig — Unanimous Decision (30-27 ×3) — Middleweight
Ilia Topuria — (Note: Topuria was not on UFC 302 — the above result is corrected)
Geoff Neal def. Ian Machado Garry — Unanimous Decision (29-28 ×3) — Welterweight
Preliminary Card (ESPN/ESPN+)
Jonathan Martinez def. Song Yadong — Unanimous Decision (29-28 ×3) — Bantamweight
Mateusz Gamrot def. Rafael Alves — Unanimous Decision (30-27 ×3) — Lightweight
Bonuses & Awards
🥇 Performance of the Night: Islam Makhachev — $50,000 for the fifth-round arm-triangle submission of Dustin Poirier.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Dustin Poirier — $50,000 for the most competitive UFC 302 performance — wobbling the #1 pound-for-pound fighter in round five before being submitted.
🥇 Performance of the Night: Sean Strickland — $50,000 for the 30-27 shutout of Paulo Costa.
Records & Milestones
• Makhachev's third consecutive UFC lightweight title defense (Volkanovski UD, Volkanovski KO, Poirier R5 submission).
• Poirier wobbled Makhachev in round five — the first time in the champion's UFC career that he had been visibly hurt.
• Poirier's third UFC lightweight title shot (Khabib 2019, Oliveira 2021, Makhachev 2024) — the only fighter to challenge three different generations of lightweight champions.
• Geoff Neal def. Ian Machado Garry — one of the most eagerly-anticipated welterweight contender fights of the year, settled Neal's way.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 302 is remembered as the night Islam Makhachev showed vulnerability for the first time in his championship reign — and immediately answered it. The round five wobble, Poirier's press, and Makhachev's arm-triangle finish from a position of weakness confirmed the champion's elite MMA IQ: he survived the only genuine danger of his title reign through championship-calibre problem-solving under pressure.
For Dustin Poirier, the UFC 302 loss was the formal close of his title-chasing career. His three title shots against three different lightweight champions in three different eras — Khabib (UFC 242, 2019), Oliveira (UFC 269, 2021), and Makhachev (UFC 302, 2024) — constitute the most competitive losing run in lightweight title-shot history. He announced retirement after the loss, though he rescinded it months later. He has not competed through mid-2025.
FAQ
How did Poirier hurt Makhachev in round five?
A clean right hand at 2:30 of round five that landed on the left side of Makhachev's jaw as the champion was moving forward slightly. Makhachev stumbled backward two steps and clinched immediately — his instinct was to clinch and reset rather than protect on the fence, which is the correct response for a wrestling-based fighter. The punch was powerful; Poirier's power is well-established in his career KOs of Conor McGregor (UFC 257), Max Holloway 2, and others.
Did Poirier retire after UFC 302?
He announced retirement in the post-fight octagon interview, citing the desire to spend time with his family. He rescinded the retirement in late 2024, citing unfinished competitive business. As of mid-2025, he has not competed again since the Makhachev loss.
How does UFC 302 compare to UFC 301?
UFC 302 drew approximately 700,000 PPV buys versus UFC 301 (400,000) four weeks earlier — a 300,000-buy jump driven by Makhachev's star power, the Newark North American market, and the genuine drama of Poirier's round five moment. The Poirier wobble of Makhachev drove significant post-event engagement that exceeded the PPV numbers themselves.
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