IN-PHOTOS: Hughes brothers and Maple Leafs' Ilya Samsonov make special appearance at UFC 302

Hughes brothers, Luke and Quinn, along with Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov made a special appearance at UFC 302. Samsonov shared a story on his Instagram account, capturing the excitement of the event and fighters in action.

credit: instagram.com/ samsonov_30

Luke Hughes, defenseman for the New Jersey Devils, posted a photo on Instagram featuring himself and his brother, Quinn Hughes, defenseman and captain of the Vancouver Canucks.

credit:- instagram.com/lhughes_06

The main event of the night featured Islam Makhachev retaining his lightweight belt against Dustin Poirier. Despite sporting a substantial forehead cut from Poirier's repeated takedowns in the third and fourth rounds, Makhachev turned the tables in the fifth round, winning by submission at 2:42.

The victory marked Makhachev's 14th consecutive win in the UFC, a streak that began with his win over Chris Wade in September 2016. Dustin Poirier, who has alternated between wins and losses in his past six fights, hinted at retirement from the UFC following his defeat.

The event also saw Sean Strickland win a split decision over Paulo Costa in a middleweight bout, with the scorecards reading 46-49, 50-45, and 49-46. Kevin Holland secured a quick victory, submitting Michal Oleksiejczuk just 1:34 into their middleweight fight.

Additionally, welterweights Niko Price and Randy Brown both secured wins by unanimous decision in their respective fights.

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Tyler Bertuzzi in contract extension talk with Maple Leafs

Tyler Bertuzzi pending unrestricted free agent for the Maple Leafs, is in early talks for a contract extension, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. Last summer, Bertuzzi hoped for a multiyear deal after being ranked in the top ten unrestricted free agents, despite a down year.

However, the market didn't meet his expectations, and he signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract with Toronto, aiming to secure a better deal later.

Bertuzzi's performance this season was mixed. He struggled initially recording only nine points in his first 27 games despite playing in the top six. He improved in the second half, finishing with 21 goals and 20 assists in 80 games and tying for the team lead in playoff points with four. While his performance did not return to his 30-goal season level from 2021-22.

To secure a long-term deal, Bertuzzi might need to accept a lower salary. The Maple Leafs have over $18 million in cap space but need to sign several players, so they need to decide if extending Bertuzzi aligns with their budget.