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Max Holloway admits fear of brutal legacy stat ahead of next fight

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Mathew Riddle | Last updated Jul 8, 2025 1:39 PM ET

It's do-or-die for Max Holloway as he makes his shift to lightweight in the main event of UFC 318.

'Blessed' already had a good taste of the 155 division at UFC 300, where he flatlined Justin Gaethje in the last second of their BMF title fight to cement one of the greatest knockouts of all time.

However, Holloway has fought at lightweight before, where he failed to win the interim title against Dustin Poirier in their rematch at UFC 236. Holloway is currently 0-5 against his UFC-level rivals Poirier and Alexander Volkanovski and looks to break this trend at UFC 318.

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Max Holloway promises violent trilogy with Dustin Poirier

UFC 318 sets the stage for Poirier's retirement as he faces one last test in Holloway. It marks their third fight, and Poirier has won them all so far; he was the first man to finish Holloway way back in his UFC debut in 2012.

Having been knocked out by Ilia Topuria in his last fight, fans might be expecting a different approach from Holloway in his Poirier trilogy. Holloway, who is a Stake Ambassador, told Sports Illustrated that this isn't the case.

"My mentality is the same. I mean why is it gonna change? Just because something happened once you can't go haywire, of course you got to address it and be smart about it, but it's not changing my mindset at all.

"I mean, at the end of the day with Dustin being a hard puncher I can't wait to go into the Octagon with him and if that opportunity rises at the last ten seconds in the fifth round, the point down, you know, we take it."

Max Holloway doesn't want to be 'that guy' with trilogy defeat at UFC 318

Reflecting on his record in trilogies with MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn, Holloway admitted, "I'm 0-3 in one trilogy. I'm not trying to be 0-3 in two trilogies."

He gets the chance to break the mold in the main event of UFC 318.