The UFC 302 odds are loaded with opportunity. From the lightweight title headliner between Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier on down, we've got an opportunity for heavy betting actions and some winning picks.
It's not just the headliner that caught my eye. Plenty of other fights, including prelim bouts, will be important when the action kicks off June 1 in Newark, New Jersey.
UFC 302 Odds & Fight Card
- Main Card
- Lightweight Championship: (c) Islam Makhachev (-550) vs Dustin Poirier (+400)
- Middleweight: Sean Strickland (-275) vs Paulo Costa (+225)
- Heavyweight: Alexandr Romanov (+210) vs Jailton Almeida (-275)
- Welterweight: Elizeu Zaleski (+150) vs Randy Brown (-185)
- Middleweight: Michal Oleksiejczuk (+220) vs Kevin Holland (-275)
- Prelims
- Middleweight: Cesar Almeida (-115) vs Roman Kopylov (-105)
- Lightweight: Grant Dawson (-400) vs Joe Solecki (+310)
- Welterweight: Philip Rowe (+130) vs Jake Matthews (-160)
- Welterweight: Niko Price (+185) vs Alex Morono (-225)
- Early Prelims
- Welterweight: Mickey Gall (+260) vs Bassil Hafez (-350)
- Women's Bantamweight: Ailin Perez (-185) vs Joselyne Edwards (+150)
- Flyweight: Mitch Raposo (+200) vs Andre Lima (-250)
How To Watch UFC 302: Makhachev vs Poirier
- Date/Time: June 1, 6 p.m. ET
- Location: Newark, New Jersey
- Arena: Prudential Center
- Where to Watch: ESPN+, PPV
UFC 302 Best Bet: Islam Makhachev by Submission (+100)
"Hi Dustin, it's your old friend, the rear-naked choke, calling. Give it a few rounds, but I'll come find you."
In a main event loaded with chalk, I'll be riding on Islam to win by submission. There will be a good degree of chucking knuckles in this fight, but the scramble will eventually pit Makhachev vs Poirier on the ground. "The Diamond" will want to be aggressive, too, and the more he squirms, the better Islam's position becomes.
Makhachev owns six UFC submissions, while Poirier has been victim to three subs, including two by rear-naked choke. Read more of my reasoning in our Islam-Dustin preview here.
UFC 302: My Fight of the Night — Strickland vs Costa
"Let's bleed for the people." It's ex-champ Sean Strickland's war cry ahead of every fight. Usually, he delivers, but this UFC 302 matchup suggests we might see a battle of epic proportions. While Strickland (finesse) and Costa (power) succeed differently, both fighters tend to be decision merchants. In this case, the five-round format lends itself to "Fight of the Night" status.
Watch for both fighters to take their time and rack up the damage. Strickland's jab is surprisingly heavy, and Costa's pop-off power makes this fight a must-watch all the way through.
I'm betting Strickland by decision at UFC 302, and you can read all my logic in our full Strickland-Costa preview here.
