Islam Makhachev to defend title against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302; Conor McGregor returns for UFC 303

The UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) 300 came to a close with Alex Pereira successfully defending his light heavyweight belt with a first-round knockout win over Jamahal Hill on Sunday.

Just after the proceedings of the main event, UFC CEO Dana White announced two mouth-watering main event fights: UFC 302 and 303.

Islam Makhachev will defend his lightweight title for the third time against former interim champion Dustin Poirier at the UFC 302 on June 1.

Makhachev had a banner year in 2023 in two bouts with Alexander Volkanovski, including 2023’s Fight of the Year and a blistering first-round knockout over Volkanovski in their rematch.

On the other hand, Poirier is fresh off a statement-making knockout over Benoît Saint-Denis at UFC 299 in Miami. The fight will be Poirier’s third shot at undisputed gold after losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira.

Meanwhile, Conor McGregor will make his much-anticipated return at the UFC 303. The Irishman, on June 29, will headline the event against Michael Chandler, who is ranked sixth in lightweight standings.

McGregor’s last fight ended prematurely when he suffered a broken leg in the third fight against Poirier at UFC 264. After nearly three years on the mend, the first double-champion in UFC history will be eager to get back into the Octagon.

He will have a perfect dance partner in Chandler, whose last fight came at UFC 281 also against Poirier. In five UFC appearances, Chandler has collected four Performance Bonuses and challenged for the lightweight title once.

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