UFC 302 live results: Updates, highlights, odds, analysis as Islam Makhachev faces Dustin Poirier

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NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - MAY 31: (L-R) Opponents Islam Makhachev of Russia and Dustin Poirier face off during the UFC 302 ceremonial weigh-in at Prudential Center on May 31, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier is headlining UFC 302. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, the promotion’s consensus top pound-for-pound fighter, is defending his belt at UFC 302 against fan favorite Dustin Poirier.

Poirier will be hoping third time’s the charm. He has previously fought for the belt twice, losing by submission on rear-naked chokes against Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2019 and Charles Oliveira in 2021. Since his most recent title shot, he’s defeated Michael Chandler, lost to Justin Gaethje in a “BMF” fight and upset rising star Benoît Saint Denis to remain in the division’s elite ranks.

[Related: How to watch UFC 302]

Makhachev has so far shown himself to be on another level, though his only two title defenses have come against Alexander Volkanovski. The Russian won the vacant title against Oliveira, then the de facto champion, at UFC 280 and was supposed to face him again at UFC 294, but the Brazilian withdrew due to injury, leaving Volkanovski to step up on short notice and pay the price.

Makhachev is the strong favorite to retain the belt and will also have his mentor Nurmagomedov in his corner at the Prudential Center in Newark. Poirier’s been an underdog before, though, and you never know what will happen in a title fight.

Follow all of the action right here on Yahoo Sports with our live blog below where we’ll be sharing all of the latest results and highlights throughout the entire card.

Live24 updates

  • RESULT: Bassil Hafez def. Mickey Gall by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

  • Round 3: Gall and Haffez go the distance after a back-and-forth brawl. Haffez likely takes the decision, but Gall showed up big time

  • Gall dropped Haffez with a big right, but Haffez popped right back up.

  • Round 2: Gall and Haffez trade late takedowns in the round. Another toss-up round as both fighters seem a bit gassed. Gall landed the bigger shots though Haffez did have some clean shots as well.

  • First round over. Haffez looked more impressive overall, but Gall got going in the last 90 seconds and gave the judges, and Haffez, something to think about.

  • Next up is Bassil Hafez vs. Mickey Gall to finish off early prelims, with Hafez as a -400 favorite. Both are coming off losses, Gall a few more than Hafez.

  • RESULT: Ailin Perez def. Joselyne Edwards by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

    Perez significantly outstruck Edwards, got more takedowns and landed the hardest blow of the fight with that spinning backfist. She improves to 10-2 and is now joking around with her new friend. Edwards appeared to decline an offer to twerk with her though.

  • Fight goes the distance. Edwards finished strong, but Perez seems likely to take the decision. The two enemies go to their knees and hug it out.

  • The second round ends and that could go either way. Edwards looked strong early, landing a hard shot on Perez, stuffing a takedown attempt and maintaining control on the ground for more than a minute, but the headbutt cost her all momentum. Then things went very badly.

  • Edwards avoids the loss of a point, but then Perez levels her with a spinning backfist. Edwards looks wobbly.

  • We’ve got a pause after Edwards hits Perez with a headbutt on the ground.

  • Perez seems to take the advantage in the first round, thanks to three takedowns out of three attempts. It was a fun show of grappling, though, with each fighter reversing multiple times.

  • Here comes Ailin Perez vs. Joselyne Edwards. There’s plenty of bad blood here, as the two fighters got into an altercation outside the Octagon last year. You can read more here.

  • Dave Tirelli gave Raposo the first and second rounds. The second is understandable because of Raposo’s takedown, but it’s hard to understand what he saw in the first, where Lima outlanded Raposo 17-7.

  • RESULT: Andre Lima def. Mitch Raposo by split decision (30-27, 30-27 28-29)

    Lima stays undefeated against a smaller, less prepared opponent, but this win, his second in the UFC, will hardly be remembered as a step forward given his missing weight and eyepokes. He outlanded Raposo 43-27 in significant strikes.

    Someone scoring that fight for Raposo is stunning, and the commentators are going off on it.

  • The fight goes the distance, with Andre Lima likely to remain undefeated. Now for the scorecards.

  • Second round over. Raposo landed a takedown in the final minute but couldn’t do anything with it. Eyepoke counter is now at three.

All odds via BetMGM.

First appeared on sports.yahoo.com

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