UFC 302 storylines -- Makhachev's next big test and new glove debut - ESPN

A little over a month ago, fans witnessed one of the most dynamic fight cards in the history of mixed martial arts. That festive night was a hard act to follow, so it's fair to say the sport has been experiencing a bit of a UFC 300 hangover.

But this weekend brings a gentle antidote.

UFC 302, which goes down Saturday in Newark, New Jersey (ESPN+ PPV, 10 p.m. ET), is nowhere near as stacked from top to bottom as April's milestone event, but the headline attraction is as good as it gets. The pound-for-pound king, Islam Makhachev, will defend his lightweight championship against a longtime luminary of the weight class, Dustin Poirier. It's a fight that needs no added selling points but nonetheless has one: Poirier, at age 35, will likely be making his final bid for gold.

While UFC 302 doesn't boast wall-to-wall star power, there's intrigue up and down the fight lineup. Here are some storylines that we will get to see play out.

It would be foolhardy to claim that Makhachev (25-1) has had it easy during his 20-month reign with the 155-pound belt. His first title defense, after all, came against the consensus No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter at the time. But while Alexander Volkanovski was a fellow champion, he reigned in a division 10 pounds south at featherweight. Their February 2023 superfight was tightly contested, and when Makhachev got the judges' nod, that boosted him up to the P4P peak. Eight months later, in a rematch, he solidified his top-shelf status by knocking out Volkanovski in the first round.

Both were big-time performances, but now it's time for Makhachev, winner of 13 fights in a row, to finally fight someone his own size. And there's a long line of fearsome 155-pounders assembled behind Poirier, waiting for