MMA Event Breakdown: UFC 302 - Makhachev vs. Poirier

by Liam Heslin (LiamPicksFights) Last Updated 2024-06-01 17:39:35 Premium Content Part of the product MMA Premium

The octagon returns to the Garden State this week with an undisputed title on the line between two of the best lightweights in the history of the promotion in Islam Makhachev and Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier. The card will also feature former UFC Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland and former title challenger Paulo “The Eraser” Costa in a spirited middleweight bout. Rounding out the pay-per-view offering will be a trio of action fights featuring familiar UFC names like Kevin Holland, Michal Oleksiejczuk, Randy Brown, and Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos. For whatever reason, late in fight week, Almeida and Romanov were moved from the pay-per-view to the preliminary card and replaced by a rematch between welterweight veterans Niko “The Hybrid” Price and Alex “The Great White” Morono.

Andre Lima vs. Mitch Raposo

Fight Odds: -250 Lima vs. +225 Raposo
Weight Class: 125lb. (Flyweight)

Andre Lima is looking to build off the momentum of his “Bite of the Night” performance in his UFC debut, but he was unable to make the flyweight limit, weighing in at 130lbs for a flyweight contest (scheduled 126lbs maximum for non-title fights). Ironically, his short-notice opponent Mitch Raposo was able to make the weight class, and he will receive 30% of Lima’s purse as a result of his failure to honor his contractual obligation to make weight.

Raposo was looking for any foot in the door he could get in the UFC after losing to Jake Hadley (another weight misser) on the DWCS and to Liudvik Sholinian at bantamweight on the Ultimate Fighter reality series.

Lima on the other hand won his DWCS bout against Rickson Zenidim in a bout characterized by large stretches of Zenidim avoiding contact with Lima. In his UFC debut, Lima was dealing with an insanely aggressive opponent in Igor Severino. He stung him on the feet, and eventually his opponent was disqualified for biting his arm. In his post-fight speech, Severino explained that he was badly concussed by Lima and didn’t even remember biting him. Lima has had more success at the UFC level. He mixes up his attacks well on the feet, and he should have the tank to push into round two and three when his short-notice opposition may begin to flag in terms of cardio. Raposo will want to land heavy counter shots with his hands or try to grit out a close decision.

Prediction: Andre Lima defeats Mitch Raposo via SUB2/3 (Guillotine Choke)