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
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: Randy Brown vs Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
Round two
Wow! Both fighters land hard right hands! Dos Santos’s seems to do the greater damage, and he chases a retreating Brown before securing a takedown!
Dos Santos takes the back, but he doesn’t have a great hold; he’s positioned too high on Brown’s back. Brown is able to stand against the fence, but he’s tripped.
Dos Santos takes the back again and works on a rear naked choke. He can’t get it past the jaw of Brown, who stays calm and defends well.
Eventually Brown escapes, and he takes Dos Santos’s back! He tries his own rear naked choke, but Dos Santos makes it to the buzzer!
UFC 302 LIVE: Randy Brown vs Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
The main card is upon us! It begins with a welterweight bout between Randy Brown and Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos.
Round one
Both men stand southpaw. Brown hops forward and throws out a one-two, which is off-target.
He kicks low now, and Dos Santos responds in kind. Brown feints with jabs; Dos Santos fakes a front kick.
Brown, the taller man, checks a leg kick. He blocks a head kick now. There’s a brief pause in the action after Dos Santos complains of an eye poke.
But the referee forces Dos Santos to resume fighting! What is he doing? You’re supposed to give the athlete time to recover!
We’re back under way, and Brown is outstriking Dos Santos, who still looks to be in discomfort and fails with a takedown.
OH! Brown times a jumping knee beautifully, jolting back Dos Santos’s head in the final seconds of the round!
UFC 302 LIVE: Donald Trump sits ringside after guilty verdict on felony counts
Donald Trump sits ringside at UFC 302 after being found guilty on 34 felony counts
Trump became the first US president to be criminally convicted on Thursday, but said he would ‘continue to fight’ the decision
UFC 302 LIVE: Cesar Almeida vs Roman Kopylov
Round three
Almeida’s team tell him that Kopylov is exhausted. Kopylov’s team tell him to slow down but also keep working...
Almeida backs up Kopylov with striking activity, and he steps back to evade a half-hearted takedown attempt.
Both men land straight punches, and Kopylov telegraphs a takedown – but gets it anyway!
Kopylov risks being stood up by referee Herb Dean, simply holding Almeida. But eventually the Russian begins to throw strikes from on top. Almeida throws his on from the bottom, but eventually Dean relents and stands them up – amid chants of, “Stand them up!” from the crowd.
Within seconds, though, Kopylov gets another double-leg... We’ll go to the scorecards.
Roman Kopylov def. Cesar Almeida via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
UFC 302 LIVE: Cesar Almeida vs Roman Kopylov
Round two
Almeida is cut around his right eye. He’s blinking it a lot.
Kopylov times a switch right hand really nicely. Almeida with a solid cross. Kopylov shoots for a takedown, but Almeida shrugs it off then lands a hardddd body hook.
Kopylov’s retaliatory one-two is just out of range, so he opts to wrestle again. He forces Almeida back to the fence and tries a single-leg.
Good defence by Almeida, and he’s able to get into space. The Brazilian kicks to the body, and Kopylov briefly looks tired.
But the Russian explodes into a double-leg takedown. He moves into side control by the fence.
UFC 302 LIVE: Cesar Almeida vs Roman Kopylov
The final prelim bout of the night is up next: Cesar Almeida vs Roman Kopylov at middleweight.
Round one
Both men stand southpaw. Lots of kicks from Almeida early on – low and high. Kopylov with a decent cross.
More kicks from Almeida, who then skips forward with a double-jab and a straight. More kicks from him, most of them low now.
Kopylov tries a single-leg takedown, but Almeida is able to scoot away after sitting to the mat. Almeida stands and is soon met with a big cross from Kopylov!
Kopylov with a lovely drive takedown. Almeida does well to create space by the fence and stand, but he’s tagged with two right hooks as he does so.
OH! Kopylov lands the cross again and floors Almeida! Kopylov with a slew of hammer fists, but Almeida starts to defend, and Kopylov backs off to let him stand.
Kopylov soon scores with a double-leg takedown, and he’s straight into side control.
UFC 302 LIVE: Jailton Almeida vs Alexandr Romanov
Heavyweight action now! Jailton Almeida faces Alexandr Romanov.
Round one
Almeida shoots for a single-leg takedown immediately. He switches to a body lock and completes the takedown.
He’s lying on top of Romanov by the fence, wearing down on his opponent. He bides his time before seizing his opportunity to take the back!
Almeida works on a rear naked choke, but Romanov fights the hands and is able to get upright on his knees.
Almeida attacks the submission again, and this time he locks it in clean! Romanov taps! It’s all over in round one!
Jailton Almeida def. Alexandr Romanov via first-round submission (rear naked choke, 2:27)
UFC 302 LIVE: Grant Dawson vs Joe Solecki
Round three
Third and final round! Dawson complains of a low blow immediately, but the action quickly resumes. It came from both guys throwing kicks at the same time.
Once again Solecki defends a takedown attempt with a guillotine, but once again Dawson escapes!
The pattern of the fight continues, therefore: Dawson on top of Solecki by the cage wall.
Dawson is able to intermittently create space and rain down punches. Solecki reduces the distance again, and Dawson ends the round with more elbows.
Grant Dawson def. Joe Solecki via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
UFC 302 LIVE: Grant Dawson vs Joe Solecki
Round one
Dawson runs at Solecki and throws a flying knee immediately! It doesn’t quite land, and he tries a guillotine as the grappling begins...
He lets go and tries a takedown instead, and now it’s Solecki attempting a guillotine against the cage.
The sequence carries the lightweights away from the cage, but Solecki is still attacking the choke... and Dawson eventually pops his head out!
Solecki is doing well to restrict Dawson’s movement on top. The pair shuffle back to the cage.
Eventually Dawson gets off some good elbows, and BOTH men are covered in blood! It actually appears to be Dawson’s, though; it was hard to see what caused the cut...
Round two
Dawson gets a takedown early in this round.
Solecki again does a decent job at restricting his opponent’s offence from on top, but once more Dawson starts to slice through with elbows.
Now the lightweights are even bloodier! Solecki is backed up against the cage, on the canvas, trying to get over- and underhooks.
UFC 302 LIVE: Prelim updates incoming
The early prelims are all wrapped up!
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).
Okay! Our round-by-round updates are finally here: First up, Grant Dawson vs Joe Solecki at lightweight.
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