By I. Hansana, Jadetimes News
Islam Makhachev successfully defended his lightweight title by forcing Dustin Poirier to tap out in the fifth round of their main event at UFC 302 in Newark, New Jersey. Despite entering the final round with a significant cut on his forehead from Poirier's repeated takedowns in the third and fourth rounds, Makhachev (26,1,0) turned the tide.
He secured a submission victory at 2:42 of the fifth round, extending his winning streak to 14 consecutive UFC fights, beginning with a win over Chris Wade on September 17, 2016.
Poirier (30,9,0) has experienced mixed results in his last six fights, alternating between wins and losses. Following the match, the 35 year old American suggested he might retire from the UFC. This victory marks the third time Makhachev has successfully defended his title.
In other bouts, Sean Strickland (29,6,0) defeated Paulo Costa (14,4,0) by split decision in a middleweight fight, with the judges' scores at 46,49, 50,45, and 49,46. In another middleweight contest, Kevin Holland (26,11,0) secured a submission victory over Michal Oleksiejczuk (19,8,0) just 1:34 into the first round.
Welterweights Niko Price (16,7,0) and Randy Brown (19,5,0) also claimed victories, both winning by unanimous decision.