Islam Makhachev defended his lightweight title and extended his winning streak to 14 fights with a fifth-round submission victory over Dustin Poirier at UFC 302. Makhachev, now 26-1, hinted at moving up in weight for a new challenge.
Despite a hostile crowd and facing one of the sport’s veterans, Makhachev dominated. He defended his title for the third time and solidified his status as the pound-for-pound best in UFC. Poirier (30-9) fell short in his third attempt for the undisputed title, all ending by submission. Although Poirier bloodied Makhachev’s face in the later rounds, Makhachev took him down in the fifth, securing the victory.