The UFC returns to pay-per-view and to the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ this weekend with a massive championship headliner. Some of the best fighters in the world will take to the octagon to put on a show for the fight fans in Newark and those watching everywhere else on ESPN+.
The lightweight championship seems out of reach to the rest of the division as a dominant champion sits on his throne, awaiting a challenger who has climbed the mountain before. Plus, two middleweight bouts featuring three ranked contenders and one former champion will likely clear up the title picture in the stacked division.
Middleweight bout: Kevin Holland vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
Staying ranked in the middleweight division is a tough task these days, but Kevin Holland is doing exactly that, just barely. The 15th-ranked fighter is coming off of back to back losses and has dropped four of his last six, but he’s still one of the most talented and dangerous fighters in the class. Holland sports a 25-11 record with 14 knockouts, most notably scoring one against Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza in 2020, which he did with a single punch from his back. Holland is an explosive striker with the power to end a fight in a blink. And while he’s struggled of late, all of his losses have come against some of the best in the world. Any opponent would be foolish to take him lightly.
And that certainly won’t be the case for UFC veteran Michal Oleksiejczuk, who is also looking to bounce back from a loss. Oleksiejczuk holds a 19-7 record with 14 knockouts and has been in the octagon with some serious contenders. Despite being only 29 years old, he’s been fighting in the UFC since 2017, making his debut all the way back at UFC 219. With all of this punching power in the octagon at one time, you can expect some fireworks here.
My pick: Holland via 3rd round knockout
Middleweight bout: Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa
The former champion will be looking to remain in the title picture in this co-main event. Sean Strickland is coming off of dropping his championship to Dricus Du Plessis in January in his first attempted titled defense. Now, with his record standing at 28-6 with 11 knockouts, Strickland will look to prove he should be next in line for the title. A powerful striker, Strickland shocked the world when he rocked Israel Adesanya in their September meeting, en route to a decision victory that earned him the middleweight crown. He’s likely going to be looking to use those same power punches to score a statement victory in this matchup.
The will certainly not be easy though as the perennial contender Paulo Costa has been finished only once in his 17 fights. Costa’s record stands at 14-3, with 11 knockouts. While his resume is impressive, all thee of those losses have unfortunately come in his last four fights, putting him in desperate need of a win. Costa is another explosive striker (there are a lot of those in this division) and he’s going to be looking for a knockout against the former champ. Costa does figure to have the grappling advantage, but it seems likely these two guys will be content to stand and bang.
My pick: Strickland via decision
Lightweight Championship bout: Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier
The lightweight division has long been one of the most stacked in the UFC. However, it also has a history of dominant champions. BJ Penn, Frankie Edgar and Khabib Nurmagomedov have all held long reigns in this class. Now, Islam Makhachev seems poised to do the same. Unless of course, a former interim champ has anything to say about it.
Makhachev was long touted as the next big thing before bursting on to the scene. And when he finally got his opportunity, he did not disappoint. The champ boasts a 25-1 record, with 11 submissions. His last loss came all the way back in 2015 and all he’s done since is win 13 in a row, including a submission of Charles Oliveira to capture the title and two successful defenses against former top-ranked pound-for-pound fighter Alexander Volkanovski. Makhachev has been nothing short of dominant in recent years and there is no sign that is going to end any time soon.
Of course, Dustin Poirier has been on this side of things before. The former interim lightweight champ is accustomed to being the underdog and thrives in the role. Just ask Conor McGregor, whom he defeated twice in back to back fights. And even in his last outing against the up-and-coming Benoit St. Denis, Poirier seemed to be completely counted out before turning things around and scoring a huge knockout. His record now stands at an impressive 30-8 with 15 knockouts and he has proven again and again he is one of the best in the division. Now, he just has to prove he is the very best by once again doing something no one in the world expects him to do. And I do mean no one.
My pick: Makhachev via 3rd round submission
UFC 302 will be held Saturday, June 1 at 10 PM ET. ESPN+ subscribers can order the pay per view for $79.99.