Max Holloway Vs. Dustin Poirier Preview

Max Holloway faces Dustin Poirier at UFC 318 on July 19 in a defense of his BMF belt as we preview this upcoming fight. 

Holloway won the BMF Belt after stopping Justin Gaethje at UFC 300, with just one second left in the fight. However, he subsequently suffered a knockout loss to Ilia Topuria in a bid for the featherweight title. Crucially, the BMF belt was not on the line in that bout, leaving Holloway with something to defend.

For Dustin Poirier, this fight represents an emotional farewell in his home state of Louisiana. Dustin expressed his desire for one last fight after his submission loss to Islam Makhachev. Poirier has fallen short in title fights against the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Charles Oliveira, and Makhachev. He also previously vied for the BMF title, suffering a knockout loss to Justin Gaethje. This bout is a chance for Poirier to cap off his career on a high note. He holds two previous victories over Holloway, making this trilogy a pivotal moment for both. 

Pre-Fight

“(I’m) 100 percent sure he would [exchange]. Last dance. Last 10 seconds. Point down to the ground. He might even do it. I’m 100 percent sure he’s going to bring it. Hearing those words excites me. If it’s a war he wants, it’s a war he’s going to get. It’s going to be a bunch of knuckleheads in there. I wouldn’t want it any other way, especially with the BMF title on the line,” Holloway said

“I think we’re both different. We’ve learned a lot, had some huge fights between us, and fought some great opponents since our last fight. We’re not the same people. I’m proud of it [fighting in my hometown]. Being the reason that they come back, it’s huge for me and the people of Louisiana. I started my diet a few weeks before I came out to training camp. I’ve been in south Florida for eight weeks now. I’ve been just trying to get ahead of everything and try to make the last dance,” Poirier said 

Full Card

Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway

Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov

Kevin Holland vs. Daniel Rodriguez

Dan Ige vs. Patricio Pitbull

Michael Johnson vs. Daniel Zellhuber

Prelims

Kyler Phillips vs. Vinicius Oliveira

Marvin Vettori vs. Brendan Allen

Francisco Prado vs. Nikolay Veretennikov

Ateba Gautier vs. Robert Valentin

Adam Fugitt vs. Islam Dulatov

Jimmy Crute vs. Marcin Prachnio

Ryan Spann vs. Lukasz Brzeski

Brunno Ferreira vs. Jackson McVey

Carli Judice vs. Nicolle Caliari