UFC 302’s all set to light up Newark, New Jersey, come June 1. And guess what? We’ve got some fresh matchups to get hyped about.
Oh, and before we dive in, here’s a quick shoutout to our sponsors. You know how it goes.
So, during the UFC on ESPN 54 broadcast last Saturday night, the big news dropped. We’re talking Ailin Perez squaring off against Joselyne Edwards in the bantamweight category. Plus, Phil Rowe’s gonna throw down with Jake Matthews in the welterweight arena. And, not to leave you hanging, Mickey Gall is up against Bassil Hafez, also in welterweight.
The venue? None other than the Prudential Center. And there’s more on the card. Roman Dolidze will face Anthony Hernandez in a middleweight bout. Meanwhile, Grant Dawson and Joe Solecki are set to light up the lightweight division.
Perez is riding a two-win streak, last seen clinching a unanimous decision over Lucie Pudilova at UFC Fight Night 232. Edwards, on the other hand, is looking to bounce back after a unanimous decision loss to Nora Cornolle snapped her three-fight win streak.
As for Rowe, he’s coming off a split-decision loss to Neil Magny at UFC on ABC 5. That loss broke his three-fight winning streak. Matthews? He’s had a mixed bag in 2023, with a submission win over Darrius Flowers and a decision loss to Michael Morales.
And Gall? He’s stepping back into the octagon for the first time since April 2022. His last appearance ended in a first-round TKO loss to Mike Malott at UFC 273. Hafez, meanwhile, faced a split decision defeat to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC on ESPN 49 in his Octagon debut.
So, there you have it. UFC 302 is shaping up to be a barnburner. Can’t wait to see how it all goes down.