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Dustin Poirier explains final seconds with Max Holloway at UFC 318

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Mathew Riddle | Last updated Jul 20, 2025 2:57 PM ET

Dustin Poirier says going toe-to-toe with Max Holloway in the final seconds of their UFC 318 fight didn't go to plan.

Poirier-Holloway 3 took center stage at UFC 318, where 'The Diamond' received a bespoke UFC retirement package. His send-off was semi-spoiled by Holloway winning the final fight in their trilogy, and he put a stamp on his performance by battering Poirier to the final bell.

The two lightweight greats pointed to the floor and swung for the fences in the final ten seconds, before Poirier grabbed Holloway for a clinch to end the fight.

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Dustin Poirier admits he avoid final-second throwdown with Max Holloway at UFC 318

During the UFC 318 post-event press conference, Poirier explained that Holloway landed some strikes he didn't like, which forced him to engage the clinch.

"I wanted to do it [the Holloway point-down]," Poirier admitted. "That's why I kept looking up at the clock, I was like, 'When we doing this?' . . . Then we pointed down... And he hit me with a few shots and I said, 'Okay, we're gonna wrestle a little bit.' Let me clinch up, there's only eight seconds left."

Holloway famously knocked out Justin Gaethje in the final second of their fight at UFC 300, initiating the brawl with his patented point-down and swing.

Most likely, Poirier didn't want to recreate the Gaethje knockout and chose to end his retirement without risk of being knocked out in the final moments of the fight.