Makhachev defeated Poirier via fifth-round submission to retain his lightweight crown in the UFC 302 headliner at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday night. Poirier proved to be a game opponent, doing perhaps his best work in the fourth frame before submitting to a brabo choke in the final stanza. As a result, Makhachev and Poirier received “Fight of the Night” honors and $50,000 apiece. Meanwhile, Makhachev also earned one of the evening’s $50,000 “Performance of the Night” awards to bring his bonus total to $100,000 overall.
Elsewhere, Kevin Holland secured the evening’s other $50,000 “Performance of the Night” check by virtue of his quick submission victory against Michal Oleksiejczuk in a featured middleweight scrap. After being rocked in an early exchange, Holland took advantage of his opponent’s aggression by locking in an armbar. The Pole refused to tap, but the bout was waved off after it appeared his arm may have been broken by the hold at the 1:34 mark of Round 1.