UFC 302 location: All about where the Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier headliner is taking place

In the aftermath of UFC 300, Dana White announced that Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier will headline UFC 302 on June 1 for the undisputed lightweight title.

The pay-per-view fight card will commence in Newark, New Jersey, per White's announcement. The UFC CEO also revealed Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa as a five-round co-main event.

UFC 302 will be the promotion's return to Newark for the first time since UFC 288 in May 2023, headlined by Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo.

The fight will serve as Makhachev's third defense of the 155-pound belt after initially becoming the champion at UFC 280 with a submission win over Charles Oliveira. The Daghestani fighter has picked up consecutive victories over Alexander Volkanovski in his two most recent wins.

Despite being 2-2 in his last four fights, Poirier finds himself in his third undisputed title fight after failing in his previous attempts. 'The Diamond' forced his way back into contention with an impressive knockout win over Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299.

The American does hold status as a former champion with an interim title fight win over Max Holloway at UFC 236. Poirier would go on to lose in his following outing to Makhachev's close friend and teammate, Khabib Nurmagomedov, in his first shot at undisputed gold.

Expectedly, Makhachev is currently a substantial betting favorite, having not lost since 2015. The Russian is also presently the No.1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC.

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UFC to debut new fighter gloves at UFC 302

The UFC 302 fight card will mark the beginning of a new era in the octagon as the promotion announced in early April that the June pay-per-view event will feature the debut of new fight gloves.

Following years of complaints and criticism of the traditional gloves from fighters, fans, and pundits, the UFC claimed that their new gloves will feature improved dexterity and hand mobility. The gloves will also highlight special themes for different events, including championship fights, 'Dana White's Contender Series', and 'The Ultimate Fighter'.