Order Now! UFC 302 “Makhachev vs. Poirier” Saturday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+
Islam Makhachev got all he could handle from Dustin Poirier.
But just when Poirier appeared to be gaining momentum, Makhachev cemented his third successful Ultimate Fighting Championship title defense by submitting the Louisiana native with a brabo choke at the 2:42 mark of Round 5 in the UFC 302 headliner at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday night. While Makhachev needed a couple more rounds than fellow Dagestani Khabib Nurmagomedov did to dispatch “The Diamond,” he remains the current standard bearer in the promotion’s lightweight division.