Dustin Poirier’s illustrious career will come to an end when he fights Max Holloway at UFC 318.
Poirier has been granted an opportunity to lay down the gloves in his hometown of New Orleans through a trilogy bout with Holloway on July 20.
6
Holloway was welcomed to the UFC by a first-round submission defeat to Poirier in February 2012 and he will be the last man to lock horns with ‘The Diamond’ in the promotion.
The pair also fought at UFC 236 in April 2019, where Poirier became the interim lightweight champion before losing his first proper title shot in the promotion to Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Poirier lost a lightweight title fight to Islam Makhachev in his last outing in June 2024, while Holloway is fresh off a nasty knockout defeat to Ilia Topuria at UFC 308 last October.
Nevertheless, his battle with Poirier is set to be another spectacle as the promotion has confirmed several other tasty fights for the night.
The newly announced fights include Kyler Phillips vs. Vinicius Oliveira, Jimmy Crute vs. Marcin Prachnio, and Carli Judice vs. Nicolle Caliari.
Oliveira scored one of the greatest knockouts on his UFC debut in March 2024 by flattening Bernado Sopaj with a flying knee.
He has since gone two further fights undefeated in the promotion and takes on Phillips, who has only lost two of his nine UFC fights, at bantamweight.
Crute hasn’t tasted victory since stopping Modestas Bukauskas in 2020 and fights Prachnio, who was submitted by Bukauskas in his last bout.
Judice and Caliari are both in the early stages of their UFC careers having emerged through Dana White’s Contender Series in the last two years.
Elsewhere at the top of UFC 318’s bill so far, Marvin Vettori fights Brendan Allen at middleweight, while Neil Magny takes on Brendan Allen in a welterweight fight.
UFC 318: Holloway vs Poirier 3
Nine-fight card so far
Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier – Lightweight for BMF Title
Marvin Vettori vs. Brendan Allen – Middleweight
Amanda Ribas vs. Tabatha Ricci – Strawweight
Neil Magny vs. Gunnar Nelson – Welterweight
Kyler Phillips vs. Vinicius Oliveira – Bantamweight
Adam Fugitt vs. Islam Dulatov – Welterweight
Jimmy Crute vs. Marcin Prachnio – Light Heavyweight
Ikram Aliskerov vs. Brunno Ferreira – Middleweight
Carli Judice vs. Nicolle Caliari – Women’s Flyweight
6
Vettori is on a two-fight losing skid in the UFC, but is aiming to come back better than ever following the death of his younger brother, Patrick.
The No. 10 ranked middleweight takes on Allen (No. 11), who is on a similar losing streak having previously gone seven fights undefeated in the promotion.
Magny lost to top welterweight contender Carlos Prates in his last fight, while Nelson is fresh off a defeat to Kevin Holland at UFC London in March.
It is likely the UFC will announce a few more fights for the card in the next few weeks, with one of them taking the co-main event spot before Poirier fights Holloway.
Poirier vs Holloway is one of the longest standing trilogies in UFC history, dating back to the pair’s first meeting in 2012.
6
6
Speaking to talkSPORT in February, Poirier opened up about his imminent retirement and what it would mean for him to finish his career in his home state of Louisiana.
“My next fight will be my last fight,” he said. “I’m going to put the gloves down and I’m just hoping I will be able to do that here in New Orleans, Louisiana – where I picked them up.
“I started fighting in Louisiana, I would love to retire here in Louisiana in the summer.
“Me and the UFC have been talking about this, they’re trying to get the state of Louisiana on board, New Orleans on board and we’re pushing for the summer so I really hope it comes together man.”
Poirier’s wishes have been granted as he is set to headline a UFC card for one final time before leaving the sport for good.
However, Holloway could well spoil the homecoming party, having recently secured one of the greatest KO’s in UFC history against Gaethje at UFC 300.
He was subsequently crowned the new BFM champion – a belt which has only been held by Jorge Masvidal and Gaethje – and will put it on the line against Poirier at UFC 318.
6
6
It seems too good to be true that one of the UFC’s toughest, hardest-hitting fighters could walk away from the promotion as its BMF champion.
