Islam Makhachev remains the reigning champion after defeating Dustin Poirier in a grueling battle at UFC 302. The fight was the night’s main event and took place on Saturday night in Newark, New Jersey.
Both opponents put on an impressive show, with Poirier putting on a defensive wrestling, but Makhachev had him on the canvas in the early minutes of round one. Poirier managed to keep the champion on his toes, landed a hard right, and dominated Makhachev, but his opponent stayed in the fight and continued to grapple before they got back on their feet.
Makhachev had ‘The Diamond’ on the floor again in round two, but Poirier quickly recovered and remained on his feet. He landed some heavy shots before going in for a clinch, but Makhachev went for a takedown, and both fighters continued to wrestle until the round came to a close.
Round three saw Makhachev drop Poirier to the floor again and managed to wrestle his opponent with incredible strength, but Poirier soon recovered and pushed off Makhachev to get back on his feet. Makhachev continued to go for several takedowns, but Poirier always got back on his feet and delivered a stunning blow that left Makhachev bleeding from his forehead.
The battle continued to the fifth round, but Makhachev was not done yet. He went in for a takedown, where he wrestled Poirier and trapped him in am in a D’arce choke that led to a tapout.
This fight marks Makhachev’s third defense title and has given him a spot on the list of most title defences in the division. On the other hand, Poirier has dropped hints of possible retirement after this match. He announced that this might be the last time he would be seen in the octagon.
