First UFC 302 promo will get you fired up (Video)
By Amy Kaplan
The UFC released the first promo for UFC 201 and it's better than we could have hoped for. In the promo we see UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev running through a forest paired with some of his most brutal finishes. The promo then cuts to his opponent, former UFC interim champion and fan favorite, Dustin Poirier on the beach paired with his finishes, including two over UFC powerhouse, Conor McGregor.
The co-main between former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa is also featured. The voiceover claims, "fireworks are guaranteed" when spouting the virtues of the co-main event.
The promo image reads, "Coming in fierce" and it delivered. If you watch the promo and aren't hyped for the fight you might want to get checked out by a doctor.
This card has several storylines that might attract even casual fans. Poirier is likelt taking his last shot at the UFC title and has even hinted that he could be nearing the end of his career. “It could be [my last fight],” Poirier said on The Fight Bananas Show. “I haven’t made an official decision yet, but it could be."
If Makhachev is able to defend his title again he'll be one step closer to securing a legacy much better than that of his coach, Khabib Nurmagomedov. In the co-main, Strickland is looking to prove he deserves another chance at Dricus Du Plessis to regain his title and secure his own future. Costa looks to defeat the former champion and prove he should be in contention for the next shot at the reigning champion.
The entire card can be found below, as well as how to watch and when. The bout order has not yet been finalized.
UFC 302 fight card
- Islam Makhachev (25-1-0) vs. Dustin Poirier (30-8-0)
- Sean Strickland (28-6-0) vs. Paulo Costa (14-3-0)
- Randy Brown (18-5-0) vs. Elizeu dos Santos (24-7-1)
- Cesar Almeida (5-0-0) vs. Roman Kopylov (12-3-0)
- Tatsuro Taira (15-0-0) vs. Joshua Van (10-1-0)
- HyunSung Park (9-0-0) vs. Andre Lima (8-0-0)
- Niko Price (15-7-0) vs. Alex Morono (24-9-0)
- Jailton Almeida (20-3-0) vs. Alexandr Romanov (17-2-0)
- Mickey Gall (7-5-0) vs. Bassil Hafez (8-4-1)
- Philip Rowe (10-4-0) vs. Jake Matthews (19-7-0)
- Grant Dawson (20-2-1) vs. Joe Solecki (13-4-0)
- Ailin Perez (9-2-0) vs. Joselyne Edwards (13-5-0)
UFC 302 takes place in Newark, New Jersey on June 1. The entire card will start around 6 p.m. ET but exact time has not yet been shared.