Fight Facts: UFC 302 ‘Makhachev vs. Poirier’

Fight Facts is a breakdown of all of the interesting information and Octagon oddities on every card, with some puns, references and portmanteaus to keep things fun. These deep stat dives delve into the numbers, providing historical context and telling the stories behind those numbers.

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TOTAL NUMBER OF UFC FIGHTS: 7,690
TOTAL NUMBER OF UFC EVENTS: 692

The Ultimate Fighting Championship threw a decent fight card at fans in Newark, New Jersey, that did not play out relative to expectations. Excitement and entertainment came at a premium as several well-matched fights turned out to be duds. When it mattered most, the headliners shined, making up for some of what transpired earlier. UFC 302 featured a champion on his way to surpassing his predecessor, another broken wing for referee Herb Dean and a fighter hitting the cycle in MMA terms.

Beware the Next Defense: In the fifth round, Islam Makhachev successfully defended his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier via submission. Pulling off his third defense in a row, the Dagestan native ties B.J. Penn, Frankie Edgar, Benson Henderson and Khabib Nurmagomedov for the longest streak in UFC 155-pound championship history.

Surpassing His Mentor: With his triumph, Makhachev advanced his stellar win streak to 14, winning every fight since beating Chris Wade in late 2016. Kamaru Usman (15) and Anderson Silva (16) are the only fighters in company history to amass lengthier win streaks, as Makhachev has now passed Jon Jones, Demetrious Johnson, Georges St. Pierre, Nurmagomedov and Max Holloway.

Entering the Club: Of those 14 straight wins, 13 for Makhachev have taken place at lightweight—his match against Bobby Green took place at 160 pounds. This tally sets the new record in the division, passing Nurmagomedov and Ferguson’s shared lead.

Is It Time for the Conversation? Winner of all four of his championship opportunities, Makhachev has already tied the UFC 155-pound record for the most victories with a belt on the line. B.J. Penn, Benson Henderson and Nurmagomedov all hold that number of title triumphs.

Khabib Never Did That: Sporting finishes in the Octagon during Rounds 1, 2, 3 and 4 on his ledger, Makhachev completed the ultra-rare cycle of a stoppage victory in all five rounds by throttling Poirier. The only other two to achieve this feat are Frankie Edgar and Holloway.

Or That: The late finish for Makhachev earned him both “Fight of the Night” and “Performance of the Night,” making him the third fighter this year to pocket double bonuses. Vinicius Oliveira and Holloway were the first, making this year the first since 2019 when three fighters claimed two extra checks.

Nothing If Not Exciting: Poirier picked up his 10th FOTN bonus for his handiwork in a losing effort. He ties Edson Barboza for the most post-fight awards of this type in UFC history.

Most Were Meaningless Teeps: Matching his personal best, Sean Strickland landed 182 significant strikes en route to a split decision victory over Paulo Costa. He previously amassed that exact total in 2023 against Nassourdine Imavov.

A Dubious Count: Adding that 182 to his previous total, Strickland is the second fighter in organizational history to pass the 2,000 sig-strike mark, reaching 2,069 after the dust settled. Holloway’s 3,378 leads the UFC by a wide margin.

That Style of Combat: Since joining the roster a little over a decade ago, Strickland has been involved in six split decisions, winning four. Only two men have gone to more split decisions than Strickland: Gleison Tibau (seven) and Clay Guida (eight). Tibau’s five victories during those instances is the UFC record.

He Loves Gatekeeping: Kevin Holland returned to 185 pounds and put Michal Oleksiejczuk’s arm on backward to record the victory. The Texan celebrates 85% of his wins inside the distance, with stoppages accounting for his last seven triumphs.

Gave Tim Sylvia Flashbacks: By not tapping, Oleksiejczuk forced referee Herb Dean to step in after observing an arm break or dislocation to declare a technical submission. Holland’s win in this fashion is the second since 2012, with Andre Muniz snapping Ronaldo Souza’s arm as the lone other occurrence, happening at UFC 262 in 2021.

Underwater Melee: Outlasting Alex Morono for three rounds, Niko Price took home the decision win in their rematch. It marked just the third win on the scorecards in Price’s career, lowering his stoppage rate to 81%.

He Paid the Price: Price landed five takedowns on Morono to ultimately get the nod, shattering his career best. “The Hybrid” had never needed to get a foe down more than twice in the Octagon.

So Much for the Almeida Show: Via split decision, Roman Kopylov got by ex-kickboxer Cesar Almeida. The Russian had not needed to win at the hands of the judges since his professional debut in 2016.

The Almeida We Expect: Jailton Almeida strangled Alexander Romanov with a rear-naked choke around the midpoint of the first round, bouncing back from his first loss in years. The Brazilian posts 20 of his 21 pro wins via finish, with 15 of those coming in Round 1.

Activating Grinderator: Grinding out Joe Solecki, Grant Dawson earned his win on all three scorecards. The last two victories for the wrestler have come via decision, accounting for half of his wins that went the distance.

Get a Rowing Machine: By defusing Philip Rowe, Jake Matthews claimed a win via unanimous decision. As a professional, Rowe has never won a fight that reached the final bell.

Fighting Solves Everything: Joselyne Edwards fell short to rival Ailin Perez after three rounds of combat. In all eight of Edwards’ appearances in the promotion, she has competed the full 15 minutes.

No Bonus for You: Lifting his pro record to 9-0, Andre Lima held off Mitch Raposo after missing weight by four pounds. In doing so, Lima handed Raposo his first career loss by decision.

Never Say Never Again: Coming into UFC 302, C. Almeida had never been defeated (five fights), Romanov had never been submitted (19 fights) and Solecki had never dropped consecutive bouts (17 fights).

Civil War Is Over, Bro: For the 10th time in his UFC run, Strickland has chosen “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” by Megaraptor as his entrance music. The brash Californian sports a win percentage of 70% when that music plays in the building before his fight.

Cut His Taste into Pieces: Changing up his walkout music once more, Morono walked to the cage accompanied by Papa Roach’s “Last Resort,” a far cry from past selected artists like Amon Amarth, Alestorm or Trivium. Morono did not win after picking this song.