UFC 302 was a delightful event for most who watched on June 1. The exception would be for oddsmakers and sportsbook owners, who spent the night sweating out the result of the main event title fight between Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier.
As a representative of BetMGM Sportsbook would report, sportsbooks were all at risk of major exposure in the lightweight title fight, desperately needing to avoid a specific outcome. With many users placing wagers on the fight, oddsmakers admitted they needed certain events to fall in their favor to avoid a horrific night in the office.
BetMGM Sportsbook Avoids Potential Disaster at UFC 302
"If Dustin Poirier wins it will be one of our biggest losses in combat sport history. We will be rooting for Islam Makhachev by any method."
– Alex Rella, Senior Trader, @BetMGM pic.twitter.com/N317Vr2ni6
— John Ewing (@johnewing) June 2, 2024
John Ewing, a public representative of BetMGM Sportsbook, reported before the event began that his co-worker, senior trader Alex Rella, admitted a win for Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 would be catastrophic for their brand. Rella told Ewing that the company was openly “rooting” for Islam Makhachev, who would end up delivering on his high expectations with a fifth-round submission.
Per Ewing, Rella said:
“If Dustin Poirier wins, it will be one of our biggest losses in combat sports history. We will be rooting for Islam Makhachev by any method.”
Though Ewing and Rella could only speak on behalf of BetMGM Sportsbook, it is commonly assumed that all sportsbooks received hefty action on Poirier throughout fight week. ‘The Diamond’ has been one of the biggest stars in MMA for several years and combat sports fans were nearly unanimously in support of the challenger heading into UFC 302.
Dustin Poirier Was the Most-Bet Fighter of UFC 302
Updated #UFC302 betting data at @BetMGM
▪️ Odds
▪️ Line movement
▪️ Betting percentages pic.twitter.com/RheQ4vWklr— John Ewing (@johnewing) June 1, 2024
In some of his reports preluding UFC 302, John Ewing showed evidence of Dustin Poirier being the most popular fighter on the fight card from a betting perspective. In a graphic tweeted on the day of the event, Ewing disclosed that the 35-year-old received 93 percent of the bets from his matchup with Islam Makhachev in the main event.
Ewing previously tweeted out the most-bet fighter props of the event with Poirier by knockout topping the charts. Of the five most-placed MMA wagers on the night, all were from the lightweight title fight with three correlating to Poirier winning.
Of the rest of the fights on UFC 302, no other fighter received more than 90 percent of the money line bets from their matchup. Joe Solecki was the second-most trusted fighter by bettors, receiving 82 percent of the action in his fight despite being a significant underdog against Grant Dawson.
UFC 302 Main Event Result
The UFC 302 main event title fight ended up being more competitive than the closing betting lines indicated but in the end, Islam Makhachev won the fight by decision as most predicted him to do. Makhachev saw more controversy in the bout than ever before in his title run but successfully took Dustin Poirier down in the final round and secured a D’Arce choke to retain his belt.
Both fighters’ coaches advised their pupils to exhaust their remaining energy ahead of the fifth round given the uncertainty of the judges’ scorecards. Through clear fatigue, both would listen to their corners in doing so, but it would be Makhachev landing an ankle-pick sweep to begin his finishing sequence.
Following their fight and awe-inspiring performances, both men took home an additional $50,000 as recipients of the Fight of the Night award. Makhachev would also receive supplemental recognition with the Performance of the Night bonus.
About the Author
Jaren Kawada is a freelance sports writer from Indianapolis, Indiana by way of Honolulu, Hawaii with a strong passion for MMA and sports betting. Kawada has also written for Sportskeeda MMA, FanSided MMA, and BetSided as a combat sports analyst. Follow on X/Twitter at @jarenkawada1 or on Instagram at @kawadajaren.
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