UFC 302 Predictions, Odds and Preview

Get the best UFC 302 predictions from a team of expert MMA handicappers. The UFC will begin June in Newark, New Jersey, on pay-per-view (PPV), and there will be a title fight to end the night on Saturday.

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Islam Makhachev will put his lightweight title on the line against Dustin Poirier (#4 LW) in the main event.

Sean Strickland (#1 MW) and Paulo Costa (#7 MW) will fight in the co-main event. Strickland needs to win this fight if he wants to fight for the title next. He’s a big favorite, but Costa is a live underdog.

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UFC 302 Preview

• When: Saturday, June 1st 2024
• Where: Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
• Time: 6:15 PM ET (Early Prelims), 8:00 PM ET (Prelims) and 10:00 PM ET (Main Card)
• Watch: UFC Fight Pass / ESPN+ / Pay-Per-View

There are only seven ranked fighters competing at UFC 301 this weekend. However, there are some guys in action that should be ranked soon with a win. Cesar Almeida will fight Roman Kopylov in the prelims.

There are quite a few veterans that most UFC fans will recognize in action as well. There are 12 fights on Saturday as long as the weigh-ins go smoothly on Friday. Our experts will release UFC 302 predictions for every single fight. Best Ways to Bet on a Fight: Enhance your betting strategy with this guide as you follow our predictions.

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Expert UFC 302 Predictions

Are you ready for my UFC 302 predictions? We’ll jump into them shortly.

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The big question on everyone’s mind is whether Poirier stands a chance in the main event. He’s a big dog at the MMA betting sites and the champion is riding a 13-fight win streak into this fight.

The majority of the fights have a favorite at -200 odds or worse, which isn’t ideal. We’ll need to look at the alternate markets, such as method of victory and round totals to find the best value bets for UFC 302.

Try These Sports Betting Strategies to Improve Results: Delve deeper into alternative markets and betting strategies to make informed bets.

Heavyweights feature on the card, as Jailton Almeida (#7 HW) will fight Alexandr Romanov (#13 HW). These two guys are a combined 37-5 and I’m expecting fireworks in this fight.

Here are my top UFC 302 predictions:

Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier Prediction

• Fight Odds: Makhachev (-655) vs. Poirier (+405)

Makhachev (25-1) has won 13 consecutive fights since losing to Adriano Martins in 2015 (R1 KO). He has won six of his last seven fights by stoppage. Poirier (30-8-0-1) is 2-2 in his last four fights. The two losses were against Charles Oliveira (R3 Submission) and Justin Gaethje (R2 KO).

Expert Boxing Betting Tips: Sharpen your understanding of fight dynamics with expert tips that could influence your betting for this fight.

Makhachev averages 2.46 SLpM, 1.27 SApM and 3.17 takedowns (TDs) per 15 minutes. Poirier only has 63% takedown defense (TDD). Poirier averages 5.45 SLpM and 4.36 SApM. He has been stopped six times in his career. Poirier has a striking edge, but will likely be getting tossed around most of the fight.

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Sean Strickland vs. Paulo Costa Prediction

• Fight Odds: Strickland (-235) vs. Costa (+195)

These guys are going to throw hands in the middle of the cage. Strickland (28-6) averages 5.91 SLpM and 4.33 SApM, while Costa averages 6.20 SLpM and 6.38 SApM. Strickland is coming off a loss to Dricus Du Plessis (Split Decision) and Costa lost to Robert Whittaker (Decision) last time out.

Both fighters have won 11 fights by TKO/KO. Strickland has been knocked out twice and Costa has been knocked out once. This is a five-round fight. The longer the fight lasts, the less likely it is that Costa will win. He likely needs to finish Strickland, as Strickland will throw constant jabs and outpoint Costa.

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Kevin Holland vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk Prediction

• Fight Odds: Holland (-275) vs. Oleksiejczuk (+220)

Holland (25-11-0-1) has lost two decisions in a row against JDM and Michael Page. He has lost four of his last six fights. Oleksiejczuk (19-7-0-1) is 3-3 in his last six and lost to Michel Pereira last time out.

Oleksiejczuk averages 5.06 SLpM and 4.26 SApM. He has 14 TKO/KO wins. Both fighters average less than a takedown per 15 minutes. Holland averages 4.24 SLpM and 3.19 SApM, plus he’ll have a 7” reach advantage. Holland has looked bad lately. Oleksiejczuk has power and is worth a bet at these odds.

This is my top underdog for my UFC 302 predictions this weekend.

Best Bet: Michal Oleksiejczuk ML

Niko Price vs. Alex Morono Prediction

• Fight Odds: Price (+200) vs. Morono (-250)

Price (15-7-0-2) has lost two consecutive fights and three of his last four. He has been knocked out in his last two fights. Morono (24-9-0-1) is 2-1 since last year and just defeated Court McGee (Decision).

Morono averages 4.87 SLpM and 4.16 SApM, while Price averages 5.46 SLpM and 5.60 SApM. This will be a striking battle and Price will have a 4” reach advantage. Morono only has six TKO/KO wins and his last knockout win was against Donald Cerrone in 2021. I wouldn’t touch Morono’s moneyline at this price.

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Randy Brown vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos Prediction

• Fight Odds: Brown (-175) vs. Dos Santos (+145)

Brown (18-5) is 6-1 since 2021 and has won two consecutive fights. Dos Santos (24-7-1) is coming off a draw against Rinat Fakretdinov last November. His last five fights have all gone the distance.

Brown averages 4.37 SLpM and 3.33 SApM. Dos Santos averages 4.52 SLpM and 3.33 SApM. Both of these fighters do well to avoid big shots. Brown is capable of landing TDs and dos Santos only has 68% TDD. Brown will have a big 5” reach advantage, which will help him in the striking department.

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Cesar Almeida vs. Roman Kopylov Prediction

• Fight Odds: Almeida (-125) vs. Kopylov (-105)

These two guys are legit. Almeida (5-0) won his UFC debut against Dylan Budka (R2 TKO). Kopylov (12-3) had a four-fight win streak snapped when he was tapped out by Anthony Hernandez in his last fight. All four of his wins during the streak were by TKO/KO, so he has a lot of power.

Almeida averages 4.50 SLpM and 1.31 SApM, while Kopylov averages 4.66 SLpM and 4.10 SApM. Both fighters are knockout artists. Almeida has four TKO/KO wins and Kopylov has 11 TKO/KO wins. Kopylov has never been knocked out. This is a toss up, but I’m betting on Kopylov to bounce back on Saturday.

Kopylov by TKO/KO is enticing, but I’m betting the moneyline only for now for my UFC 302 predictions.

Best Bet: Roman Kopylov ML (-105)

Jailton Almeida vs. Alexandr Romanov Prediction

• Fight Odds: Almeida (-260) vs. Romanov (+210)

Almeida (20-3) lost his first UFC fight last time out against Curtis Blaydes. That was in March, so he had a short layoff. Romanov (17-2) bounced back after losing two consecutive fights by defeating Blagoy Ivanov (Decision) last time out. Almeida is difficult to trust at these odds, but he has a path to victory.

Almeida averages 6.88 TDs per 15 minutes and Romanov has 20% TDD. Romanov averages 4.06 SLpM and 2.20 SApM, while Almeida averages 2.54 SLpM and 0.74 SApM. Romanov also averages 4.32 TDs per 15 minutes, but he’ll struggle taking down Almeida. We’ll see if Almeida bounces back on Saturday.

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Phil Rowe vs. Jake Matthews Prediction

• Fight Odds: Rowe (+130) vs. Matthews (-160)

Rowe (10-4) lost a split decision to Neil Magny last time out. Matthews (19-7) is also coming off a decision loss. He lost to Michael Morales last November. Rowe has a 7” reach advantage, but he has struggled with TDD (59% TDD). Matthews averages 1.59 TDs per 15 minutes, 3.30 SLpM and 2.56 SApM.

Rowe averages 3.94 SLpM and 4.32 SApM. Prior to his loss to Magny he won three in a row by TKO/KO. Matthews will get into trouble trying to strike with Rowe. Matthews has only been knocked out once in his career, though and he also has a path to victory by utilizing his wrestling.

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UFC 302 Odds

Here are the latest UFC 302 odds for every scheduled fight on the card:

• Islam Makhachev (-655) vs. Dustin Poirier (+405)
• Sean Strickland (-235) vs. Paulo Costa (+195)
• Kevin Holland (-275) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (+220)
• Niko Price (+200) vs. Alex Morono (-250)
• Randy Brown (-175) vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (+145)
• Cesar Almeida (-125) vs. Roman Kopylov (-105)
• Jailton Almeida (-260) vs. Alexandr Romanov (+210)
• Grant Dawson (-490) vs. Joe Solecki (+340)
• Phil Rowe (+130) vs. Jake Matthews (-160)
• Mickey Gall (+270) vs. Bassil Hafez (-360)
• Ailin Perez (-185) vs. Joselyne Edwards (+155)
• Mitch Raposo (+215) vs. Andre Lima (-265)

How to Access UFC 302 Predictions at Sports Hub

We have numerous expert MMA handicappers here at Sports Hub. We’ll all be releasing our UFC 302 predictions for Saturday. Mine will be available under my profile (SWJ Sports) when you read this.

Gear up for UFC 302 with expert analysis and tailored strategies from SportsHub. Stay updated and join our vibrant community on Instagram @sports_hub_com and Twitter @sportshub_com. Discover our diverse and engaging content on YouTube.

You’ll also want to check out the profile “MMA Prime – Sports Hub.” He’s 19-1 (+$1470) in the last 30 days and has been unstoppable. You’ll want to make sure you also tail his UFC 302 predictions.

Make sure you tune in for the four prelims fights on ESPN+ (USA) or Sportsnet (Canada). All four of the fights will be exciting. Almeida vs. Romanov was pushed to the prelims, so don’t miss it. The main event and co-main event are also going to be amazing to watch. Good luck with your UFC 302 predictions.