Former undisputed lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov claims a firm plan is in place for his countryman, Islam Makhachev to beat incoming common-foe, Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 this weekend – claiming a second or third round finish should be on the cards.
Nurmagomedov, a former undisputed lightweight champion and Hall of Fame inductee, called time on his unbeaten professional career back in 2020 following a successful title unification win over then-interim champion, Justin Gaethje.
And returning to the camp of Makhachev last week in Newark ahead of the current titleholder’s showdown with former interim best, Poirier in New Jersey in the main event of UFC 302 this weekend, it is currently unclear if the Dagestan native will feature as a cornerman at the Prudential Center.
Khabib Nurmagomedov shares prediction for UFC 302
However, sharing his immediate thoughts on the clash, Nurmagomedov claims Makhachev should have many openings in the second or third round to turn in a finish over Lafayette favorite, Poirier – who admitted he may likely call time on his own run in the sport.
“Many people underestimate Dustin Poirier,” Khabib Nurmagomedov said on his YouTube channel. “I personally fought him, spent three and over 10 minutes with him, and I have a good sense of his strengths and weaknesses. We are working hard on these aspects.”
“Dustin Poirier is very experienced; he’s been in many battles already,” Khabib Nurmagomedov explained. “Yes, he has lost, but he also has many victories in the UFC, more than 22 or 23 wins. Using our slang, he is a seasoned warrior. You can’t take him lightly. We have great respect for Dustin, but on June 1. he is our opponent. We have a clearly developed plan for the fight, and I believe Islam (Makhachev) will follow it. I really hope that Islam will finish him off in the second or third round.”
Do you agree with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s prediction for UFC 302?