'This is for him': Dana White confirms UFC 318 was built for Dustin Poirier's send-off
'This is for him': Dana White confirms UFC 318 was built for Dustin Poirier's send-off
UFC CEO Dana White confirmed the upcoming pay-per-view event in New Orleans was built to celebrate Dustin Poirier's retirement fight.
UFC 318 takes place at the Smoothie King Center on July 19 and features Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) facing Max Holloway in a trilogy bout for the BMF title. It will be a home-state send-off for Poirier, who was born in Lafayette, which is about a two-and-a-half-hour drive from New Orleans.
The BMF title is only brought out for special occasions by the promotion to add a little something special for a matchup between fan-favorite fighters. Poirier and Holloway (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC) fit that bill as global stars for the UFC. White labeled both fighters as "all-time greats" of the promotion.
"Dustin Poirier is a big star for us," White told WDSU News. "He's accomplished a lot in the sport. This is for him, to be honest with you. This is for him. He wanted to have his last fight and end his career in New Orleans, so here we are.'
Poirier, 36, defeated Holloway in their second meeting by unanimous decision at UFC 236 to capture the interim lightweight title. Their first fight came seven years earlier at UFC 143 in 2012, which Poirier won by submission in the first round. There's plenty of history between the two fighters, and now Poirier will close his career against a familiar face, in a familiar place.
White heaped praise on Poirier's career, which began in the UFC back in 2011 when he debuted against Josh Grispi at UFC 125 as a featherweight.
"He's ranked No. 5 in the world right now in the lightweight division," White said. "He's a guy who's held his position in the top 10 for a very long time. He's achieved a lot. He's one of the all-time greats. Thousands of people have fought in the UFC. I don't know where I could rank him (overall), but he's one of the all-time greats."
Poirier campaigned for the UFC's return to New Orleans. The promotion's last event in "The Big Easy" was UFC Fight Night 68 in June 2015. Poirier competed against Yancy Medeiros at that event and earned a Performance of the Night bonus for a first-round TKO.
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