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UFC 302 Takeaways and Thoughts
June 3, 2024
The UFC returned to Newark, New Jersey and PPV on Saturday for UFC 302 for a decision filled card. A good amount of fighters had good performances, but many fans were chomping at the bit for finishes. It ended up being an interesting night of fights, though. Let’s take a look at the results…
Main Card
Islam Makhachev (c) def. Dustin Poirier via fifth-round submission (D'Arce choke)
Sean Strickland def. Paulo Costa via split decision (46-49, 50-45, 49-46)
Kevin Holland def. Michal Oleksiejczuk via first-round submission (armbar)
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)
Preliminary Card
Roman Kopylov def. Cesar Almeida via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Jailton Almeida def. Alexandr Romanov via first-round submission (rear-naked choke)
Grant Dawson def. Joe Solecki via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Jake Matthews def. Phil Rowe via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 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)
The Prelims
Despite being filled with decisions, the Prelims had some guys get back on track with solid performances. Here’s what stood out to me…
Jake Matthews continued his winning ways. He has quietly gotten some nice wins and has all the tools to make a run in the division. It’ll be interesting to see what fight he is given next.
Grant Dawson got rocked early in the first round, but was able to gather himself and dominate the rest of the fight. It wasn’t a sexy win, but he did what he had to do to get the win. Although his performance may not get him a major fight next, getting back on track was probably more important in this spot.
Jailton Almeida made quick work of Alexandr Romanov in a performance that showed that he, indeed, can hang in the Heavyweight Division. Almeida had a lot of trouble his last time out against Curtis Blaydes. Although Romanov is no Blaydes, he’s big and tough - and Almeida had no issue. Almeida is ranked high enough to get a high profile fight his next time out. If he gets another impressive win, then he might find himself in the contender discussion in 2025.
Roman Kopylov came in as the betting underdog, but showcased all the skills that garnered him a lot of hype before his last fight (a loss). Someone bet $70K against Kopylov and I am sure they regret it, as Kopylov mostly dominated Cesar Almeida. Kopylov has a ton of power in his hands and feet and it looks like he has worked on improving his ground game. It was a very strong performance by him and I am definitely excited to see what is next.
Randy Brown vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
Like I said in my preview, dos Santos isn’t a household name - but he has some nice wins and a ton of skills. Randy Brown proved to be a tough matchup, though, due to his length. Brown did a nice job of keeping his distance and using his length on the ground, as well. This was a good win for Brown, who has a streak going. He’s looking for bigger names going forward, so we shall see if the UFC grants him that.
Niko Price vs. Alex Morono
I was really looking forward to this fight and it didn’t disappoint me. I know the fans were looking for a finish, but Morono and Price had a nice back and forth battle - with Price edging out Morono for the win. Both men looked good here, as they usually do.
Kevin Holland vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
Well, this was disgusting. Oleksiejczuk did a phenomenal job of finding Holland’s opening to knock him down early. However, Holland shook the cobwebs out quickly and was able to regroup on the ground. He got a hold of Oleksiejczuk’s arm and cranked on it. I respect Holland for not going for the break right away. Oleksiejczuk gave Holland no choice, though, by not tapping. I give credit to Herb Dean for stopping the fight. There was no tap, but there was a clear pop of the arm. In fact, Herb Dean probably could have stopped the fight a tad earlier and I wouldn’t have minded. That arm was nasty!
Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa
This fight left a lot of people scratching their heads over Paulo Costa. Most people expected a war, with both men loving to move forward. Costa had some nice moments - especially with some big leg kicks. However, he didn’t do much else and Strickland spent most of the fight chasing him. Strickland wasn’t happy with the fight, but he got the win and most people appreciated him trying to make it a fight. Strickland expressed his desire to want a title fight next and is willing to wait. He might have to wait a little longer than he likes with the UFC trying to make Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya next.
Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier
This ended up being a heck of a main event - which was no surprise, as both men are so great at what they do. Dustin Poirier did everything in his power to secure the upset and take the Lightweight Title from Islam Makhachev. Although Islam was never in major trouble, there were a few moments where it felt like Dustin was gaining some momentum and finding his spots. However, Islam fought great, as usual, and was able to secure the win in the last round with a choke.
What’s Next?
Islam Makhachev expressed a desire to become a two division champion. Although he didn’t show much interest in it, Arman Tsarukyan is waiting for his shot at the Lightweight Championship. It’ll be interesting to see which way the UFC goes with Islam, but either way - I expect his next fight to be at Madison Square Garden in November.
Dustin Poirier wasn’t sure what his future would be. He went back and forth in stating that this might be it for him. A lot of people were predicting him to call it a career with a loss here. However, you can tell that Dustin loves to fight. He doesn’t want to fight unless he can get another shot at the title, the one thing that he hasn’t been able to capture in his career (other than an interim win). Selfishly, I hope we get more Dustin. Whatever he chooses, though, he deserves. He’s been an incredible warrior.
The Gloves
With the UFC’s new gloves, most people were expecting less eye pokes and more knockouts. While we didn’t get that on Saturday, it was just the first event with the new gloves. Fighters still have to get used to them, so I don’t expect to see any major differences, if any, for a few more events. It was interesting to hear, though, that just about everyone liked the new gloves better - except Sean Strickland. We will see if others express the same in the coming weeks.
My Picks
I ended up going 8-4 in my picks. Once again, I didn’t bet any real money, but it’s good to know that I continue to hover around that 75% correct number.
Overall, I ended up enjoying the fights. I know a lot of people didn’t like that most fights went to a decision - but that’s MMA. Highlights are great, but wins are important. I think this card did a lot for certain fighters getting back on track and we ended up getting a great main event.
What did you think of UFC 302? What are you hoping is next for Islam and Dustin? Let me know at matt.tenhoeve@gmail.com. I will be back later in the week to discuss UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Imavov. See you then!
