UFC 302 LIVE: Poirier vs Makhachev fight updates and results as champion retains in final round

Re-live all the action after Dustin Poirier came up short against Islam Makhachev in their lightweight title fight

Conor McGregor announces UFC return

Dustin Poirier was denied a fairytale ending to his story in the Octagon on Saturday, as Islam Makhachev submitted the fan favourite to retain the lightweight title at UFC 302.

Poirier, 35, was fighting for the title for the third time, having previously suffered submission losses to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2019 and Charles Oliveira in 2021.

The American previously held the interim belt but failed to unify the gold, and he hinted before and after UFC 302 that he might not fight again.

Poirier did himself justice across four-and-a-half rounds against Makhachev, the UFC’s pound-for-pound No 1, but the Russian out-grappled Poirier for much of the bout and secured a D’Arce choke in the final frame. Poirier tapped out but also seemed to go unconscious immediately after – for a brief moment – as Makhachev recorded a third successful title defence.

In doing so, Makhachev matched the number of defences achieved by Khabib, his coach and childhood friend, who reigned from 2018 until his in-ring retirement in 2020. Re-live UFC 302 updates and see all results below.

UFC 302 LIVE: Poirier vs Makhachev

• Islam Makhachev retains lightweight title with submission of Dustin Poirier
• Russian beats American with D’Arce choke in fifth and final round
• Makhachev, 32, stays pound-for-pound No 1 and records third straight title defence
• Poirier hints at retirement after going 0-3 in undisputed title fight
• Poirier, 35, is a former interim champion but lost each undisputed bout by submission

[2 June 2024 07:45 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 302 LIVE: Dustin Poirier vs Islam Makhachev

Our UFC 302 report in full:

[2 June 2024 09:57 · Luke Baker]

Donald Trump sits ringside at UFC 302 after guilty verdict on felony counts

Donald Trump sat ringside at UFC 302 on Saturday, two days after a Manhattan jury found him guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

Trump became the first US president to be criminally convicted on Thursday (30 May), but said he would “continue to fight” the decision. He will have 30 days to do so following his sentencing on 11 July.

In the wake of the verdict, the former president attended UFC 302 in New Jersey, sitting ringside with UFC president Dana White – not for the first time.

[2 June 2024 08:00 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 302 LIVE: Results in full

Islam Makhachev def. Dustin Poirier via fifth-round submission (D’Arce choke, 2:42)

Sean Strickland def. Paulo Costa via split decision (46-49, 50-45, 49-46)

Kevin Holland def. Oleksiejczuk via first-round technical submission (armbar, 1:34)

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)

Prelims

Roman Kopylov def. Cesar Almeida via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

Grant Dawson def. Joe Solecki via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 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)

Jake Matthews def. Phil Rowe via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

[2 June 2024 07:30 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 302 LIVE: Dustin Poirier vs Islam Makhachev

Makhachev’s striking success will have surprised many fans (Getty Images)

[2 June 2024 07:14 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 302 LIVE: Dustin Poirier vs Islam Makhachev

Sean Strickland (right) outpointed Paulo Costa in the co-main event of UFC 302 (Getty Images)

[2 June 2024 07:00 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 302 LIVE: Dustin Poirier vs Islam Makhachev

Makhachev, the UFC’s pound-for-pound No 1 fight, recorded a third successful title defence (Getty Images)

[2 June 2024 06:43 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 302 LIVE: Dustin Poirier vs Islam Makhachev

Islam Makhachev (right) celebrates after submitting Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 (Getty Images)

[2 June 2024 06:42 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 302 LIVE: Dustin Poirier vs Islam Makhachev

Islam Makhachev (left) used an ankle pick to set up the finish in round five (Getty Images)

[2 June 2024 06:18 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 302 LIVE: Dustin Poirier vs Islam Makhachev

Makhachev commends Poirier and calls for a shot at the welterweight title next.

Leon Edwards defends the belt against Belal Muhammad in Manchester in August.

Also, lots of respect between Poirier and Makhachev, and Poirier and Khabib.

[2 June 2024 06:17 · Alex Pattle]

UFC 302 LIVE: Dustin Poirier vs Islam Makhachev

Poirier: “Yeah, man, he’s the champ. I thought I was chipping away. I stopped most of [his takedowns] in the open, but here he did a low single, an ankle pick and whipped my leg up. And that was that.

“If I do fight again, what am I fighting for? Just to fight? I think this could be it honestly, Joe,” he tells Joe Rogan.

“I’m not 100 per cent [sure], but if this is my last fight, I want to dedicate this to the people who made me the person I am today – the women in my life.”

He pays tribute to his late grandma, his mother, and shouts out his wife and daughter who are ringside.

“We alright, baby,” he says to his daughter. “Always chase your dreams, it’s a beautiful thing.”