UFC 302 press conference: Best quotes from Islam Makhachev, Dustin Poirier, Sean Strickland, Paulo Costa
NEWARK, N.J. – The main and co-main event for UFC 302 got to throw verbal jabs at each other in person, as the four fighters answered questions from the media at Thursday’s pre-fight press conference.
Islam Makhachev, Dustin Poirier, Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa participated at the presser. Surprisingly, Strickland and Costa were the most cordial to each other, while Makhachev and Poirier had tension growing.
Below are the best quotes from the headliners of UFC 302. You can also checkout the full presser in the video above.
Islam Makhachev
Makhachev on wanting to submit Poirier with a guillotine choke:
“I have to (submit him with a guillotine) because his guillotine is always looking bad, you know. He makes a joke about the guillotine, so I have to show him how to do it right.”
Makhachev on online accusations of staph infection:
“Don’t worry guys. I had a very good training camp and nothing bothered me. I will be ready, 100 percent, on Saturday night.”
Dustin Poirier
Poirier on Makhachev’s validity to No. 1 pound-for-pound ranking:
“We’re going to find out Saturday. He’s pound-for-pound No. 1, current world champion. It seems like it to me, but I’ll find out, and I’ll be the judge of that.”
Poirier plans to dethrone Makhachev:
“I’m going to pry the belt out of your hands on Saturday night.”
Sean Strickland
Strickland on wanting to beat up Costa:
“I don’t know how much secret juice Paulo has, but the only shot you have is you better get f*cking lucky. You better hope that God is in your favor because I’m going to f*cking beat your f*cking d*ck into the dirt. But don’t worry, I’m not going to f*ck you like Izzy did.”
Strickland on his title loss to Dricus Du Plessis:
“The whole world knows that I beat Dricus. I went to f*cking Canada and I got robbed in that dirty f*cking country – not the people, but the government. I think Justin Treaudou’s little f*cking baby nuts infected the judges somehow because I got f*cked. I’m going to beat Costa, and I’m going to win that belt back.”
Paulo Costa
Costa recommends a partner for Strickland:
“Hey, Sean. I think you need a wife in your life. This guy wore this white shirt for the whole week. You need a wife. I don’t know if you are married or not, but a girlfriend will help you a lot.”
Costa on how he matches up against Strickland:
“I have a more well-rounded fighting (style). I have kicks and I can even bring this fight to the ground. I think he’s more basic. I think he’s very good at what he does, which is move foward, but I have my tools. I will show you on Saturday.”
Press conference faceoffs
Check out the faceoffs between Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa, and Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier below.
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