The UFC’s current P4P number one is back for his next fight. Islam Makhachev faces Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 in June.
The lightweight title is on the line as Islam Makhachev returns
In connection with the night’s press conference after UFC 302, it was clear that Russia’s Makhachev is ready for his next title defense. The USA’s Poirier will stand for the resistance. This in the new main event for UFC 302, which was announced by the president of the organization Dana White. The gala takes place in Newark, New Jersey on the first weekend of June. In the co-main event, he meets the former middleweight champion Sean Strickland Brazil Paulo Costa.
Rumors have circulated for weeks that Makhachev would return sooner rather than later and Poirier appeared to be the leading candidate to get the title fight after he crushed Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299 in March.
A former interim lightweight champion, Poirier fell short in his previous two attempts to win the undisputed title with losses to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira. He will attempt a third time when he faces one of the most dominant champions in the UFC’s current stable.
Makhachev has only tasted defeat once in his entire career and he is currently on a 13-fight winning streak, including two successful defenses of his lightweight title. Last Makhachev knocked Alexander Volkanovski in a return match.
Now Makhachev seeks his third title defense when he faces Poirier in a five-round title fight to conclude UFC 302 in June.
As for the co-main event, Strickland is competing for the first time since losing his middleweight title in a close fight against Dricus du Plessis. As for Costa, he too is trying to get back into the win column after a close fight with Robert Whittaker at UFC 298 in February. Costa lost that fight via split decision.
In connection with the aforementioned press conference, White also announced the upcoming match between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler. Read more about that fight here.
