Following a bye week for Memorial Day weekend, UFC Betting will roar back to life on Saturday night. UFC 302 has a main card that is among the best gamblers will ever see. First on the marquee is the lightweight title bout matchup between defending champion Islam Makhachev and challenger Dustin Poirier. Also featured is the middleweight bout between #1 Sean Strickland and #7 Paulo Costa. Yet another ranked matchup is the Heavyweight bout between #7 Jailton Almedia and #13 Alexandr Romanov. And then, in the middleweight division #15, Kevin Holland faces Michael Oleksiejczuk.
UFC Fight Night Makhachev vs. Poirier Main Card
| Date and Time: | Saturday, June 1, 2024, 10 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | Prudential Center, Newark, NJ |
| TV Coverage: | ESPN+ |
Lightweight Title Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Islam Makhachev | -470 |
| Dustin Poirier | +360 |
Overall, Islam Makhachev has a career sportsbook record of 25-1. Dustin Poirier is 30-8 for his career.
Late on, Islam Makhachev is riding a 13-bout winning streak. On October 22, 2022, Makhachev won the UFC lightweight championship with a 2nd round submission against Charles Oliveira. Next came a unanimous decision win over Alexander Volkanovski on February 12, 2023. As a result, Makhachev successfully defended his title belt for the first time. Makhachev is coming off a 1st round knockout win over Alexander Volkanovski on October 21, 2023. It was Makhachev’s second straight title defense win.
Of course, Dustin Poirier is a former interim UFC lightweight champion. Poirier has dropped two of his last four bouts. Last time out, Poirier won a 2nd round knockout against Benoit Saint-Denis on March 9, 2024. On July 29, 2023, Poirier lost a 2nd round knockout against Justin Gaethje. On November 12, 2022, Poirier won a 3rd round submission against Michael Chandler. And then, on December 11, 2021, Poirier lost a 3rd round submission to Charles Oliveira. That bout with Oliviera was for the UFC lightweight championship.
Middleweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Sean Strickland | -205 |
| Paulo Costa | +170 |
Dean Strickland stands at 28-6 for his career. By contrast, Paulo Costa has a career mark of 14-3.
Namely, Sean Strickland is a former UFC middleweight champion. Last time out, Strickland lost a split decision against Dricus du Plessis on January 20, 2024. The defeat snapped a 3-bout winning streak by Strickland. Previously, Strickland won a unanimous decision against Israel Adesanya on September 10, 2023.
Of great concern is that Paulo Costa has dropped three of his most recent four bouts. Last time out, Costa lost a unanimous decision against Robert Whittaker on February 24, 2024. On September 27, 2020, Costa lost his only title bout in a 2nd round TKO defeat against Israel Adesanya for the middleweight title.
Middleweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Kevin Holland | -265 |
| Michal Oleksiejczuk | +215 |
In sum, Kevin Holland has a career UFC Betting odds record of 25-11. Counter to that is Michal Oleksiejczuk with a career mark of 19-7.
Heavyweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Jailton Almeida | -290 |
| Alexandr Romanov | +235 |
To summarize, Jailton Almedia has a career record of 20-3. Alexander Romanov is 17-2 in his career.
Welterweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Randy Brown | -175 |
| Elizeu Zaleski Dos Santos | +145 |
Randy Brown has a career record of 18-5. In turn, Elizeu Zaleski Dos Santos is 24-7-1 in his career.
UFC Fight Night SBG Free Picks
In this situation, Islam Makhachev and Sean Strickland have too much for their opponents.
UFC Fight Night SBG Best Bets: Islam Makhachev and Sean Strickland.