The UFC 302 press conference took place on May 30th, 2024, and many interesting things were said by the fighters that were on stage, especially by Dustin Poirier.
This was the first UFC press conference that took place ever since the one for UFC 300, as the company decided to cancel the 301 presser. However, instead of having every fighter available to answer questions, the UFC made the decision to keep only the co-main and main eventers on stage so more questions were given to them.
With that being the case, Dustin Poirier and Islam Makhachev were given more time to explain what their strategies were for their upcoming UFC Lightweight Championship fight this Saturday. Dustin made an interesting claim at the press conference, claiming that he would finish this fight on the feet.
UFC 302 Press Conference
At the UFC 302 press conference, Dustin Poirier was asked a very important question regarding his thoughts on how he plans on winning the fight. A reporter asked the future UFC Hall of Famer whether he would try to win by decision or finish the fight early. Dustin simply replied “I knock him out Saturday night. I’m knocking him out.”
Poirier made his intentions clear on finishing the fight, however, the champion also had a response to his prediction. Islam Makhachev explained that Dustin could say whatever he wanted to, but that he doesn’t expect a guy who wants to retire to knock him out.
This comment was made because Poirier has had some recent thoughts about retirement, and in his eyes winning a title fight on the way out would be the perfect way to end to his legendary career. This comment by Dustin was very direct, and his goal for victory at UFC 302 seems clear.
Poirier vs Makhachev
Dustin Poirier and Islam Makhachev will face off in the main event of UFC 302 for Islam’s UFC Lightweight Championship. The fight will take place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on June 1st, 2024.
This is the first time Dustin and Islam are stepping into the octagon with each other, and this fight will certainly go down as one of the biggest bouts made in lightweight history. Dustin has become one of the greatest lightweight fighters to ever grace the sport, and Islam is also reaching that status with huge wins over Alexander Volkanovski and Charles Oliveira in recent years.
Dustin is known for his great striking ability while Makhachev is one of the best grapplers in the sport right now. However, they are both multi-dimensional fighters as Islam has gotten knockout wins and Poirier has earned submission victories in his own right. This will definitely be a competitive fight between the two stars, and the outcome of this fight could very well go either way.
Dustin’s Knockout History
Dustin didn’t make his comment based on judgment alone, as he has a great knockout history and has finished some of the best fighters in UFC history. He is also known as one of the best strikers in the UFC currently and all time, so there is always the possibility of him getting a clean KO over Makhachev and becoming the new UFC Lightweight Champion.
Poirier has knockouts on some of the best strikers in the world in Justin Gaethje and Conor Mcgregor. In 2018, Dustin was able to knock Gaethje out and finish the fight in the 4th round. In his second fight with Mcgregor in 2021, he finished the Irish legend with a punch in the 2nd round, getting 2 straight victories over Conor in back-to-back fights. Dustin’s most recent fight was also a knockout win over Benoit Saint-Denis.
He was also able to defeat Max Holloway on the feet, another top-tier striker, as he cruised to a decision victory over him. He’s had TKO victories over many fighters as well, showing his amazing striking ability. It’s safe to say that his prediction of knockout Islam out is not coming out of nowhere, and there is actually a chance of a knockout happening.
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