UFC 302
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas , United States |
| Website | www |
UFC 302: Makhachev vs. Poirier was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, taking place on June 1, 2024, at the Prudential Center located in Newark, New Jersey, United States.
Background
This event represented the UFC's tenth occasion hosting an event in Newark and its first return since UFC 288 in May 2023.
The occasion introduced the UFC Official Fight Gloves for the first time, engineered to minimize injuries and reduce eye pokes.
The headline bout featured a UFC Lightweight Championship clash between reigning champion Islam Makhachev and former interim titleholder Dustin Poirier.
Serving as the co-main event was a five-round middleweight contest between ex-UFC Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland and previous title contender Paulo Costa.
A heavyweight matchup originally planned between ex-Bellator Heavyweight Champion Alexander Volkov and Jailton Almeida was called off; Volkov was rescheduled to face former interim UFC Heavyweight title challenger Sergei Pavlovich. Consequently, Almeida competed against Alexander Romanov instead.
A women's strawweight fight featuring former Invicta FC Atomweight Champion Michelle Waterson-Gomez versus Gillian Robertson was postponed until UFC 303.
Welterweight competitor Jeremiah Wells withdrew from his scheduled bout with Niko Price, leading to his replacement by Alex Morono. Price and Morono had previously met in 2017, though the initial outcome was overturned after Price tested positive for marijuana.
The flyweight contest between Su Mudaerji and Joshua Van was canceled following Su’s withdrawal; Tatsuro Taira stepped in as a replacement. Both athletes were later reassigned to UFC Fight Night: Perez vs. Taira to face different opponents.
A middleweight bout involving Roman Dolidze and former LFA Middleweight Champion Anthony Hernandez was canceled due to Hernandez sustaining a hand injury.
Road to UFC Season 1 flyweight champion Park Hyun-sung was replaced by newcomer Nyamjargal Tumendemberel because of injury; however, Tumendemberel withdrew due to visa complications and was succeeded by Mitch Raposo. At the weigh-in, Raposo’s opponent André Lima failed to make weight by four pounds; the fight proceeded at catchweight with Lima fined 30% of his purse.
Bonus awards
The UFC granted $50,000 bonuses to exceptional performers:
- Fight of the Night: Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier
- Performance of the Night: Islam Makhachev and Kevin Holland