Holloway defeats Poirier in an emotional trilogy and wins the BMF title

Dustin Poirier Says Goodbye with an Epic Fight against Max Holloway

In a night full of emotions at UFC 318, Dustin Poirier did not achieve victory in his last fight, but his legacy remained intact. The fight, which took place at the Smoothie King Center, saw Poirier face Max Holloway in a battle for the BMF title, which was ultimately decided by unanimous decision in favor of Holloway. The judges scored the lightweight fight with cards of 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47. Holloway, after his victory, opened the doors to possible challengers for the BMF title and briefly mentioned Ilia Topuria before yielding the spotlight to Poirier.

“I feel appreciated. I feel seen. I never left the fight and saw it this way. This week has been incredible. I feel loved by the fans, Louisiana, and the company. I’m a kid living the dream here, man, throwing punches,” Poirier expressed.
Dustin Poirier

Holloway, for his part, fulfilled his objective of “spoiling the party”.

“I’m very happy,” Holloway said. “I came and tried to be the party pooper and the villain.”
Max Holloway

Poirier, at 36 years old, retires with a tie for fifth place in UFC history in terms of victories, with 22. He is also tied for fourth place on the knockout list, with 11. Poirier’s legacy includes three appearances for the undisputed title in 2019, 2021, and 2024. Although he did not achieve victory in any of them, against Khabib Nurmagomedov, Charles Oliveira, and Islam Makhachev, he did conquer the interim lightweight title in 2019, by defeating Holloway by unanimous decision in a fight that is already a classic. The Saturday showdown against Holloway, in which Poirier sought victory in the trilogy (Poirier won the first two fights), had everything the public expects from a Poirier fight. Holloway knocked him down with a right hand in the first few minutes, but Poirier recovered. Holloway knocked him down again in the second round, but Poirier recovered and knocked Holloway down later in the round, seeking a guillotine. Poirier entered the octagon with New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne, in a poetic gesture; Poirier, born and raised in Lafayette, used Lil Wayne’s “A Milli” for his UFC debut in 2011. The UFC reorganized its schedule so that Poirier’s last fight would be in his home state. According to UFC statistics, Holloway outstruck Poirier in total strikes, 186-114. Poirier cut Holloway under the left eye in the fourth round, but Holloway’s volume of strikes also began to take its toll. Poirier’s movements became a bit slow at the end, but he still accepted Holloway’s invitation to stand in the center of the octagon and throw punches at the end of the fight. It’s a great victory for Holloway, who was coming off the first knockout loss of his career against Topuria in his fight for the 145-pound title in October. UFC President Dana White said Holloway is “in a great position right now” for a possible title rematch with Topuria at 155 pounds.