The UFC heads back to The Prudential Center in Newark, NJ for star-studded UFC 302 PPV. Headlining this stacked fight card are two of the best lightweights on the planet as the champion Islam Makhachev (25-1) is set to defend his title for the third time against former interim lightweight champion and fan favorite Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier.

Makhachev will be looking to continue his dominant run in the lightweight division this weekend. Ever since suffering his first-ever defeat when he was knocked out by Adriano Martins back in 2015, he has won 13 fights in a row en route to capturing the lightweight championship. He has now submitted Charles Oliveira to capture the lightweight championship, and then successfully defended the belt twice against the former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski most recently viciously knocking him out with a perfectly timed head kick.

Now, Makhachev will look to do what his longtime training partner, Khabib Nurmagomdeov, has done before him: defend the lightweight title a third time tying his and BJ Penn's UFC record. He also will have him in his corner to help him in this matchup against familiar foe Dustin Poirier.

Dustin Poirier will be looking to accomplish one last thing before he potentially calls it a career and that is to be the UFC undisputed lightweight champion. He is a 30-fight UFC veteran and this will be his 31st fight inside the Octagon which would make this the longest run to an undisputed title in UFC history. Poirier has a track record of proving people wrong and being a massive underdog in this fight he's looking to do jus that yet again.

As for the rest of this fight card, it's littered with exciting fights top and bottom. In the co-main event, we have the former middleweight champion Sean Strickland taking on “The Eraser” Paulo Costa in a 5-round fight where each fighter hopes that a win could put them into title contention. The rest of this fight card has some exciting matchups like Kevin Holland vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk, Randy Brown vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos, and Niko Price vs. Alex Morono.

With a great fight card comes money to be made, we take a look at the top betting underdogs for this weekend's stacked fight night event.

Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of BetOnline. 

UFC 302 Top Betting Underdogs

Paulo Costa: +210

Niko Price: +210

Phil Rowe: +137

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Paulo Costa (+210) vs. Sean Strickland

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Paulo Costa is coming off his first defeat since 2021 when he lost to Marvin Vettori when he lost to Robert Whittaker by unanimous decision at UFC 298. Costa lost to Whittaker via unanimous decision however, he did have Whittaker on skates in round one before he got saved by the bell. He hopes to have better fortune this time around when he takes on Sean Strickland this weekend at the Prudential Center.

Costa is as powerful as one could be in the middleweight division with four of his six victories coming by knockout. Almost knocking out Whittaker with that spinning heel kick in round one shows the impressive power and arsenal that he has to get the knockout. Knowing this fight will be a 5-round co-main event either Costa is going to need to go balls to the wall looking for the finish within the first two rounds or try to pace himself as the fight gets into the championship rounds. It will be interesting to see which he elects to do however, whichever one he does he will always have the ability to land one punch and put Strickland out and that will be his most likely path to getting the job done here this weekend.

Niko Price (+210) vs. Alex Morono

As UFC 302 approaches, the rematch between Niko Price and Alex Morono is one of the most anticipated bouts on the card. Price, known for his aggressive and unpredictable fighting style, has a strong chance to secure a victory over Morono this weekend.

Niko Price, nicknamed “The Hybrid,” is renowned for his high-contact, high-speed approach inside the Octagon. Standing at 6'0″ with a reach of 76 inches, Price has the physical attributes to keep Morono at bay and land significant strikes from a distance. His record of 15-7, with 10 wins by knockout, showcases his knockout power and ability to finish fights. Price's striking accuracy and high output make him a constant threat, and his ability to find unconventional angles for strikes, as seen in his memorable knockout of Randy Brown with hammer fists from the bottom, adds to his unpredictability.

Price's previous encounter with Morono was overturned to a no-contest, but he initially won by knockout, demonstrating his ability to finish Morono. Despite recent setbacks, Price's relentless pressure and knockout power make him a formidable opponent. His strategy should focus on overwhelming Morono early, utilizing his reach advantage and high-volume striking to keep Morono on the defensive.

Niko Price's aggressive fighting style, physical advantages, and past success against Morono position him well enough to secure a definitive victory at UFC 302. Fans can expect an explosive and action-packed fight, with Price emerging victorious.

Phil Rowe (+137) vs. Jake Matthews

Phil Rowe took his first loss since 2021 against Neil Magny in June 2023 with a razor-close split-decision defeat. After a year off Rowe is back in action looking to right the ship and get back to his winning ways when he takes on Australia's Jake Matthews this weekend at UFC 302.

Rowe has an exceptional long frame for the welterweight division. He stands in at 6'3″ with an 80″ reach giving him a 4″ height advantage and a 7″ reach advantage over Matthews. He utilizes that length very well by keeping his opponents at the end of his strikes. His striking has come a long way since stepping foot inside the Octagon winning three of his five fights by knockout and taking it to Magny on the feet in their fight.

In this matchup against Matthews, he will have the advantage at distance but he's going to need to keep it there and keep the fight on his feet. Matthews will be looking to utilize the same recipe others have had against Rowe and that is to take him down and keep him there. Since his start in the UFC, Rowe has been grappling against the world's best grapplers like Ryan Gordon and Craig Jones as he looks to get better and grow as that will come in handy in this matchup. If Rowe can utilize all that he's been learning to keep this fight upright, he can get back on track this weekend.