Makhachev targets 'legacy' move to welterweight after beating Poirier at UFC 302

Islam Makhachev is targeting a move to welterweight to secure his "legacy" after the lightweight champion successfully defended his title with a final-round submission of Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 on Saturday night.

Russian Makhachev extended his winning streak to 14 fights, the third-longest in UFC history, while potentially sending American Poirier into retirement at the Prudential Center in New Jersey.

Overcoming one of the sport's accomplished veterans and a crowd — including former President Donald Trump — that was against him from the start, Makhachev improved his professional MMA record to 26-1 and said he may move up in weight for another challenge. “This is my dream,” Makhachev said.

There's certainly not much left for him at 155 pounds, where he defended his title for the third time and showed again why he is ranked as the pound-for-pound best in the UFC.

Poirier (30-9) fell short in his third attempt for the undisputed title, all three ending by submission. At 35, he is considering retirement. “I’ve got to see. I think this could be it,” he said.

He battled back after Makhachev controlled the first round and bloodied the champion's face later, but Makhachev took him down midway through the fifth and quickly pounced, with Poirier unable to escape the choke hold.

“Incredible fight. Both guys dug deep,” UFC President Dana White said.

Makhachev, while respectful of the challenger’s accomplishments, noted this week that Poirier did well against boxers but was exposed against fighters with wrestling backgrounds — which Makhachev lists as his strength.

The champion seemed on his way to a 12th victory by submission in the first round when he took Poirier down in the opening minute and kept him on the mat the rest of the round.

Fans roared when Poirier, the No 4-ranked lightweight, escaped a couple of takedown attempts in the second, growing even louder when he made it to the horn at the end of the round.

The fighters had good exchanges in the third and fourth and both were bloodied, but Makhachev didn't have to worry about taking any more punches.

“Happy to finish him, but this guy is still one of the best in the world,” Makhachev said of Poirier.

Though Mackhachev spoke of his desire after to move up to 170 pounds, White seemed more interested in making a match with Arman Tsarukyan, another Russian who is the No 1-ranked contender at lightweight. But Makhachev seems intent on challenging for another belt.

“If you want to create a legacy you have to get a second belt,” he said.

Poirier, who ranks in the UFC's top five in career victories, knockouts and finishes, ran into arguably the best fighter in the world at present. The American choked out by Charles Oliveira and Khabib Nurmagomedov in his other title shots, and while White said that gave Poirier knowledge he could use for this fight, it wasn't enough.

Though he sounded at times like retirement was the plan, he certainly didn't sound sure, adding: “I still feel like I want to be world champion."

In the co-main event, former middleweight champion Sean Strickland got back in the win column with a split decision over Paulo Costa.

Strickland appeared to be controlling what he called a boring fight against the Brazilian, who spent much of it backpedaling away from exchanges.

Strickland (29-6), who lost the title in his last bout, also by split decision to Dricus Du Plessis in January, said afterward he wants another shot. “I want to fight for the belt,” he said.

Trump entered to a loud ovation just as the preliminary portion of the event was ending. Days after becoming the first former US president to be convicted of felony crimes in New York, he shook hands with the announcers and waved his fists to supporters who cheered him before sitting to watch the action with White.

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Desert Warrior

Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley

Director: Rupert Wyatt

Rating: 3/5

The alternatives

• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.

• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.

• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.

• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.

• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.

Company profile

Name: Thndr

Started: October 2020

Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: FinTech

Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000

Funding stage: series A; $20 million

Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital

Key facilities

Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

Classification of skills

A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.

A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.

The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.

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Takreem Awards winners 2021

Corporate Leadership: Carl Bistany (Lebanon)

Cultural Excellence: Hoor Al Qasimi (UAE)

Environmental Development and Sustainability: Bkerzay (Lebanon)

Environmental Development and Sustainability: Raya Ani (Iraq)

Humanitarian and Civic Services: Women’s Programs Association (Lebanon)

Humanitarian and Civic Services: Osamah Al Thini (Libya)

Excellence in Education: World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) (Qatar)

Outstanding Arab Woman: Balghis Badri (Sudan)

Scientific and Technological Achievement: Mohamed Slim Alouini (KSA)

Young Entrepreneur: Omar Itani (Lebanon)

Lifetime Achievement: Suad Al Amiry (Palestine)

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Trump v Khan

2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US

2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks

2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit

2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”

2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency

July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”

Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.

Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”

PROFILE OF SWVL

Started: April 2017

Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport

Size: 450 employees

Investment: approximately $80 million

Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani

LA LIGA FIXTURES

Friday

Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)

Valencia v Levante (midnight)

Saturday

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Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)

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Sunday

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