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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Islam Makhachev retained his title once again but Dustin Poirier didn’t give him an inch during a thrilling main event at UFC 302.

Early on it looked like Makhachev might just maul his way to victory again but Poirier displayed incredible heart and determination but he also showcased much improved takedown defense that gave the reigning lightweight champion some fits. Still, Makhachev’s relentless attacks never slowed and he eventually dragged Poirier to the canvas where he latched on a fight ending D’arce choke that earned the tap at 2:42 in the fifth and final round.

As they embraced after the end of the fight, Poirier told Makhachev that he actually fell unconscious from the choke just as he tapped out.

“I think Dustin did a great camp, his coaches working very well and he prepared very good,” Makhachev said after his latest title defense. “He defended my takedowns and gave me a hard time. He’s a champion and a legend of the sport. Thank you, Dustin.”

It certainly wasn’t the outcome that Poirier wanted after he openly stated that this title shot might be the last of his career. In fact, Poirier hinted that Saturday night might serve as his final walk, although he wasn’t ready to make any definitive statements about his future just yet.

“He’s the champ,” Poirier said about Makhachev. “I thought I was starting to chip away at him. He just kept coming back. I thought I was doing a really good job of takedown defense, me and [Mateusz] Gamrot worked for six weeks on getting back to my feet, not giving up position, not giving up the hooks. I stopped most of them in the open, he got me down against the fence but here [in the middle], he did a low single, like an ankle pick almost and whipped my leg up and that was the end.

“I know I can compete with the best of these guys. If I do fight again, what am I fighting for? Just to fight. I’ve done that 50 times. I think this could be it honestly.”

If that really is the end, Poirier certainly went out on his shield giving the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport everything he could handle.

The fight didn’t start that way for Poirier after Makhachev scored his first takedown less than a minute in the opening round. Makhachev shredded Poirier’s defense as he started setting up submission and it appeared momentarily that it might be a short night for him.

A split second after he got the takedown, Makhachev locked in a kimura but Poirier scrambled free before ending up with the champion wrapped around him with a body triangle. Makhachev continued working from the back as he looked to lock on the rear-naked choke while also hammering away with punches whenever the opening presented itself.

It was the worst case scenario for Poirier to start the fight but he survived to make it to the second round.

On the restart, Poirier thwarted a couple of takedown attempts but Makhachev actually still connected with the better punches early because his opponent was so wary about the wrestling. Makhachev stayed smart in the striking exchanges but Poirier didn’t really come alive until time was ticking away with less than a minute remaining in the round.

As the third round got started, Makhachev drew blood on Poirier with a huge knee up the middle that gave way to a takedown against the cage. As soon as he got the position, Makhachev took the back and then mauled his way to the mount only for Poirier to explode out of the bad spot to get back to his feet again.

Despite the brief moment of success, Poirier had significant swelling growing under his right eye and he kept wiping at his left eye after Makhachev popped him with a punch.

The relentless attacks from Makhachev just did not slow down as he cracked Poirier with another stiff combination in the fourth round, which led to another takedown against the cage. Poirier stayed strong to eventually slip free and when Makhachev got back to his feet, he had blood pouring down his face from an inside elbow that sliced him open.

With attention from his corner between rounds, Makhachev came out more determined than ever with five minutes remaining. He made Poirier react to his strikes and then jumped down to grab an ankle to bring the fight down the floor for the final time.

Poirier desperately tried to get back up again but this time Makhachev found an opening to lock on the D’arce choke and as he rolled to his side, it was clear the submission was deep with suffocating precision. A moment later, Poirier tapped and Makhachev celebrated another victory.

Dispatching Poirier puts Makhachev’s win streak at 14 in a row overall and he now counts three title defenses on his resume as well. Ideally, Makhachev would like a chance at becoming a two-division champion next with designs on capturing welterweight gold in his next appearance.

“It’s my dream,” Makhachev said. “I want to fight for the second belt. I want to feel that energy again. I need a new one. This is my dream.”

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As long as Jon Jones is around, Islam Makhachev will never be the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

That’s according to Dana White, who made his feelings about Makhachev’s spot at the top of the P4P rankings abundantly clear, even after the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ dispatched one of the greatest lightweights of all time at UFC 302 on Saturday night.

“I think he’s one of the greats of all time,” White said when asked about Makhachev’s spot at the top of the P4P rankings during the post-fight press event. “I think he’s incredible. I don’t think he’s the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world. For anybody to call Islam Makhachev the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world with Jon Jones is still f*cking fighting is nuts. Shouldn’t be ranking in the pound for pound or doing any rankings ever.

“Jon Jones has never lost a fight ever and he’s fought all the baddest dudes in the world. And then when you think about what pound-for-pound rankings really mean, he moved up to heavyweight and destroyed the best guy in the world. As long as Jones is still fighting, active, and in the rankings, nobody [else] is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.”

“When you think about what pound-for-pound really means… [Makhachev] fought Volkanovksi who’s a weight class lower than him,” White continued. “Jon Jones beat everybody at light heavyweight and then beat the best heavyweight in the division like it was nothing. Jon Jones with the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and probably the greatest fighter of all time in any sport.”

Maybe White will change his mind if Makhachev moves up and scores himself a second strap.

Is Dana White Right about Jon Jones?

It’s hard to argue with White’s statement, even if your feelings on Jones are clouded by his many unsavory antics outside of the Octagon.

Though ‘Bones’ is regularly touted as being undefeated, he does carry a single loss on his record which came as the result of an absolutely ridiculous disqualification in 2009. Makhachev’s one loss, on the other hand, was the result of a nasty first-round knockout against Adriano Martins — a fighter who exited the promotion a year later.

Jones also spent the majority of his career defending his light heavyweight title against every legend and top-ranked contender the promotion threw at him. Meanwhile, Makhachev just now put his gold on the line against a legit lightweight after back-to-back bouts against former 145-pound champ Alexander Volkanovski.

Do you agree with Dana White’s assessment of the pound-for-pound rankings, or do you believe Islam Makhachev is right where he belongs at the top of the list?

LowKickMMA.com

Following the UFC 302 fights at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, the big winners will field questions from the media at the post-fight press conference.  

The event was headlined by a lightweight title bout between champion Islam Makhachev and former interim titleholder Dustin Poirier.  Makhachev defeated Poirier via submission in the final round.

In the co-main event, former middleweight champion Sean Strickland defeated Paulo Costa via split decision.  Following the win, “Tarzan” called for a title shot.

UFC 302 Post-Fight Press Conference 

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Islam Makhachev is the best of the best, and he has the awards to show for it.

Following Makhachev’s dramatic fifth-round submission of Dustin Poirier in Saturday’s UFC 302 main event in Las Vegas, the reigning lightweight champion received an extra $ 100,000 in bonuses for winning the evening’s Fight of the Night and a Performance of the Night bonus. That means Poirier also received $ 50,000 for his part in the headlining bout, which was one of 2024’s most exciting duels so far.

For Poirier, this marks his 10th Fight of the Night bonus and his 15th post-event bonus overall. That should provide some consolation for “The Diamond,” who fell short in his third attempt at becoming undisputed UFC lightweight champion.

The other $ 50,000 Performance of the Night award went to Kevin Holland. The sometimes-welterweight, sometimes-middleweight fighter returned to the 185-pound division to fight Michal Oleksiejczuk and got back in the win column with a 94-second armbar submission. That’s seven Performance of the Night bonuses now for the always exciting Holland.

Afterwards, Holland declared himself “the best gatekeeper you’ve ever seen.”

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Make no mistake, Kevin Holland is still a gamer.

Despite entering UFC 302 on a two-fight losing streak, Holland pulled off the highlight of the evening with grisly his come-from-behind win over Michal Oleksiejczuk. After getting dropped with a punch early, Holland caught Oleksiejczuk in a nasty armbar from the bottom position then wrenched until the Oleksiejczuk’s arm was visibly injured, prompting referee Herb Dean to rush in and stop the action just 94 seconds into the fight. Oleksiejczuk immediately protested the stoppage, but Dean likely only saved him from further damage.

Holland brutal victory reignited a decision-heavy UFC 302 card that was lacking in big moments. Check out how the MMA world reacted to his comeback performance below.

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