UFC 302 Preview And Predictions
The UFC is heading to Newark, New Jersey for UFC 302. The event features a lightweight title fight and a middleweight bout with title implications. The remainder of the card is rounded out with fights that have the potential to be fun scraps.
Join Vendetta Sports Media as we preview and predict the UFC 302 main card. You can find our prediction records below.
James: 58-39
Garrett: 54-43
Anthony: 56-41
Jerry: 49-37
Randy Brown vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos- Welterweight Bout
The UFC 302 main card starts with a welterweight bout between Randy Brown and Elizeu Zaleski Dos Santos. Brown and dos Santos have both quietly tallied impressive UFC records. In the promotion, Brown is 12-5 while dos Santos is 10-3-1. The biggest difference is that Brown is 33 while dos Santos is 37. That is not a massive age difference, but Brown seems to be reaching his peak while dos Santos is potentially sliding.
Brown is a long fighter that stands at six-foot-three. That gives him a big length and reach advantage in this matchup. Brown throws a lot of straight punches and has a solid kicking game. This allows him to use his length effectively. Brown can also use that length to threaten submissions.
dos Santos is an experienced striker with a respectable toolset. On the feet, he has a good balance of boxing and kicks. He can land solid shots with his hands, but he has impactful kicks. That is done with kicks to all three levels. At times, he has shown the ability to throw dynamic spinning attacks and knees. In addition, he has some solid BJJ skills despite that not being his top skill.
This UFC 302 matchup should be an interesting fight considering each fighter’s ability to land impactful shots on the feet. I do lean toward Brown. I believe he is making improvements and finding ways to finish fights. That said, dos Santos should never be overlooked in a striking-based fight. I will take Brown by second-round knockout.
Garrett: Brown via submission
Jerry: Brown via decision
Anthony: Brown via KO/TKO
Alex Morono vs. Niko Price- Welterweight Rematch
James: UFC 302 features a welterweight clash between Alex Morono and Niko Price. This is a matchup between two veterans. Morono is 13-6 with a 2-2 record in his last four. Price is 7-7 with a 1-4 record in his last six fights (one no-contest).
In all honesty, this is not a great fight. It is a shock that it was elevated to the main card during fight week. On a more positive note, this matchup holds a ton of volatility. Morono and Price both have suspect chins which increases the chance this fight ends violently.
In this matchup, Morono will be the more technical and methodical fighter while Price is the more wild and unpredictable. Morono will be in a much better position if he can keep it technical and avoid big shots. Although, Price is wild enough to put himself in danger to land the big strikes needed to end the fight early.
It is hard to be overconfident on either fighter in this UFC 302 preview. I am not eager to pick either of these fighters to win a fight. That said, I will side with the craziness of Price. I don’t expect him to land efficiently but it will only take him one shot. I will take Price by first-round knockout.
Garrett: Morono via decision
Jerry: Morono via decision
Anthony: Price via decision
No. 15 Kevin Holland vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk- Middleweight Bout
James: At UFC 302, Kevin Holland will fight Michal Oleksiejczuk. Holland is a prime example of a fan-favorite fighter. In the UFC, he has used his entertaining personality to gain fans. Thankfully, he has solid skills as well. Those skills have garnered a 12-8 record against a solid level of competition. It should be noted that Holland is taking this fight at middleweight instead of his typical welterweight weight class. Oleksiejczuk has proven to be a solid fighter with his 7-5 run in the UFC. This bout provides a strong opportunity to get a big name on his resume.
Holland is an unorthodox fighter with a unique approach. This is mainly because he is long and has roots in traditional martial arts. Holland can land long punches and a variety of kicks from the outside. On top of that, he can land counters and has power in both hands. In the grappling realm, he has his fair share of flaws, but his submission upside is legitimate. Holland has used his front choke series to land several submissions in the UFC.
Oleksiejczuk is a pressure boxer. The main goal of his approach is to get in his opponent’s face and unload with heavy punches. This is done with constant forward pressure and a good amount of striking volume. The issue is that he can be hit and has minimal grappling defense.
This UFC 302 bout previews to be a fun fight. The stylistic clash of the two strikers should create some interesting exchanges. It is also interesting that both fighters have paths to land big strikes. Holland can land big strikes from the outside and can compete in the pocket. Oleksiejczuk will also be able to land in pocket boxing exchanges. That said, Holland will hold the advantage in the grappling exchanges and the clinch. That swings this fight in his favor. I will take Holland to win by second-round submission.
Garrett: Oleksiejczuk via TKO
Jerry: Holland via submission
Anthony: Holland via KO/TKO
No. 1 Sean Strickland vs. No. 7 Paulo Costa- Middleweight Bout
James: The UFC 302 co-main event is a middleweight bout between Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa. Strickland is looking to bounce back after losing the middleweight title in a close bout against Dricus Du Plessis. Prior to that fight, Strickland was riding hot with a three-fight win streak against Israel Adesanya, Abus Magomedov, and Nassourdine Imavov. Costa has struggled in his most recent fights. In his last four bouts, he went 1-3. In that run, he had highs and lows. Thankfully, his most recent fight against Rob Whittaker was a competitive contest that showed he was dedicated to the sport.
Strickland’s style centers around his boxing and unique striking defense. Offensively, he throws a lot of jabs and straight punches. Defensively, he leans back with a modified Philly shell and swats at punches. It is a unique approach that can be difficult to crack. Strickland also has good cardio that helps him push a pace.
Costa is a kickboxing powerhouse. This results in violent striking exchanges as his punches and kicks deal serious damage. For a striker who bases his game on power, Costa throws a good variety of strikes. This includes boxing combinations, counters, body shots, and an array of kicks. If Costa can walk his opponents down, he can unload with those big weapons.
The UFC 302 co-main event previews to be a close fight. This bout is an interesting stylistic matchup. Strickland is an easier matchup for Costa than his previous matchups have been. That is largely because Strickland is not as mobile and does not have elite footwork. This should create a lot of exchanges between two fighters who prefer to walk their opponents down. In those exchanges, I like Costa’s power and shot diversity. That should allow him to land big strikes. On the other hand, if he does not land an early knockout Strickland should hold the cardio advantage in the late rounds. Still, I think Costa lands a big shot early. I will take Costa by second-round knockout.
Garrett: Costa via TKO
Jerry: Costa via KO/TKO
Anthony: Costa via KO/TKO
(C) Islam Makhachev vs. No. 4 Dustin Poirier- Lightweight Title Fight
James: The UFC 302 main event features a lightweight title fight between Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier. Makhachev is the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, according to the UFC rankings. At 14-1, he has been sensational in the UFC. That culminated in a lightweight title that he has defended twice. Although, this bout against Poirier will be his first defense against a lightweight. Poirier is coming off a knockout victory against Benoit Saint-Denis. That victory sent his stock through the roof which resulted in a title shot. At 35, he has been one of the best lightweights of this era, but he has failed in his two opportunities for undisputed gold. In all likelihood, this fight will be his final chance at undisputed UFC gold.
Makhachev’s best attribute is his grappling. Once he lands a takedown, he is elite from the top position. Makhachev maintains control and advances to dominant positions. This allows them to land submissions and throw big strikes. A strong clinch game also backs this. Makhachev lands clinch knees and throws which helps him get to his grappling. On the feet, Makhachev has solid tools. This begins with his counters. He can land solid strikes. This begins with his lead hand counter. Additionally, his kicking game is solid. Makhachev throws his left leg to the body and head. This is done from a variety of angles as he throws teeps alongside traditional kicks.
Poirier is one of the best boxers in the lightweight division. This holds true offensively and defensively. Poirier puts boxing combinations together, lands counters, and throws leg kicks. This is all done with good power, cardio, durability, and fight IQ. On the defensive side, he gets out of range or uses hammer blocks. The issues for Poirier come on the grappling side. Despite having solid BJJ, elite grapplers can land takedowns and get to his back.
The UFC 302 main event preview favors Makhacehv. Poirier simply does not have the defensive grappling to compete in this matchup. The best hope for Poirier is that Makahcehv falls in love with his hands and opts to strike for a significant period. That said, this is a southpaw versus southpaw matchup. That should favor the more advanced striker in Poirier. In turn, Makhachev should proactively grapple since his kicking game will be diminished with the same stance matchup. In the grappling, Poirier will likely repeatedly jump for the guillotine choke. As long as Makhachev defends that submission, he should be able to land takedowns and work to a dominant position. I will take Makhachev by second-round submission.
Garrett: Makhachev via submission
Jerry: Makhachev via submission
Anthony: Makhachev via submission
***
CLICK HERE for more of our UFC/MMA content
Check out the Vendetta Shop
Subscribe to Vendetta’s YouTube
