UFC 318: Holloway vs Poirier 3 start time, schedule, fight card, how to watch and latest odds today
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NBC News
19-07-2025
- NBC News
A UFC legend is retiring to 'be there for my family for the long run'
Make no mistake about it: Dustin Poirier is still at the top of his game. Even at 36, he remains among the UFC's most dangerous fighters both standing and on the mat. He has wins over Conor McGregor, Michael Chandler and Benoît Saint Denis in recent years. So why, despite a No. 6 ranking among lightweights and a headlining fight at UFC 318 against Max Holloway in New Orleans on Saturday, does he plan on taking off the gloves for good? It all comes down to family. 'Me and my wife have been together for a long time, since before I was fighting, so she's been on this whole journey with me,' Poirier told NBC News last week. 'She's been asking me to stop fighting for a long time, and so has my daughter.' After 30 wins in 40 fights, a resume mostly made up of all-out wars that have made him a fan favorite, Poirier has followed their advice. The Lafayette, Louisiana, native will walk out in front of his hometown crowd and compete for the final time, ending a legendary career. Poirier said his long-term health was a major factor. 'I want to be there for my family for the long run,' he said. 'I want to watch my daughter get married and always be there for her, not just physically, but mentally, too. I want to leave with my faculties. This isn't good for you. Getting kicked and kneed and punched in the head for 18 years isn't good for you.' Poirier said he officially came to terms with the decision after his last fight against Islam Makhachev in June 2024. In that bout, a fifth-round submission loss, he suffered his third defeat in a championship. He previously fell to Charles Oliveira and Khabib Nurmagomedov, respectively, with the belt on the line. The UFC will typically only give you so many shots at a title. He likely would have needed another winning streak to get back into contention, he said, and at his age, with wear and tear on his body since he began fighting at 17, it didn't appear set to happen anytime soon. Facing Holloway on Saturday for the UFC's 'BMF' belt — a title distinguishing the promotion's 'Baddest Motherf----r' — is a nice consolation prize for years of thrilling fights. He could walk out to the octagon in front of his hometown crowd, beat another fan favorite and leave with gold around his waist. It would be the perfect ending to one of the UFC's most storied careers. Poirier emphasized how important it was to get out of the sport before the sport got him out. Too many fighters over the years have entered the cage past their prime with declining skills and athleticism and suffered life-altering damage. He said he still feels good enough to compete at a high level, which is why it was a tough choice to leave now. 'I'm not getting forced out of this,' he said. 'I'm choosing to walk away, and that's very important to me.' Unlike most fighters, Poirier has been outspoken about preventing neurological issues. He told NBC News ahead of the Makhachev fight that he was debating retirement, partially 'to take care of my brain health.' One year later, it's still top of mind. 'It's not something I thought about when I was a young kid in my early 20s or mid-20s,' he said this week. 'It's something that as I got older in the sport, I started realizing things and noticing things and doing my research and just growing up and realizing this isn't good for you. I'm not saying don't [become a fighter]. I'm just saying take care of yourself.' Poirier has altered some of his habits to help in this area. He now consumes healthy fats, fish oils and turmeric, takes creatine, uses hyperbaric chambers and has limited intense sparring ahead of fights. His opponent on Saturday has also been outspoken on the topic. Before his UFC 308 title fight against Ilia Topuria in October 2024, Holloway talked about the importance of brain health. 'You only get one brain. Once that thing starts deteriorating, it's not like anything else where you can grow it back,' he said. 'Be smart, go see specialists, go see doctors, go do research on your own brain health and take care of yourself. At the end of the day, that's what it is. I don't want to be a vegetable when I grow older.' The UFC has taken steps to help athletes protect their brain. According to the promotion, a five-stage protocol will be used to determine if a fighter is fit to return to action after a concussion. Every fighter also has an immediate full examination by a commission doctor and a UFC physician after their bout. They may be required to undergo a CT brain scan, an MRI brain scan, and/or have a neurology follow-up evaluation. The promotion has additionally supported the Cleveland Clinic's ongoing Professional Athletes Brain Health Study. Since 2011, more than 900 athletes have participated in testing that will help determine the long-term effects of repetitive head trauma and factors that put certain individuals at higher risk of developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The UFC has contributed more than $2 million to the cause. 'If you had a way to identify people who are at risk of these long-term effects, then the hope is you could treat them early or advise people,' Dr. Charles Bernick, the founder and primary investigator of the study, told NBC News. 'Kind of empower athletes when they're active on their own brain health, so they can make decisions. That to me is the most exciting stuff.' The Professional Athletes Brain Health Study remains an ongoing project, Bernick said. It aims to work with both current and retired fighters for a minimum of five years. 'This gives us a real opportunity because some of the athletes that started as active athletes subsequently retired during the duration of the study,' he said. 'So we're able to kind of get a perspective of what happens once a person stops fighting, stops getting exposed to whatever they're exposed to ... and try to understand why some people have ongoing problems, even though they're not exposed anymore, and [why] other people seem to be resilient.' While no study has been completed solely focused on MMA or boxing fighters, there have been on former NFL players. In February 2023, Boston University's CTE Center announced that after studying the brains of 376 former football players, 345 (91%) came back with a diagnosis of CTE. Like football players, fighters know the risks of a physically demanding sport. Nobody understands that better than Poirier. 'Every fight, every fight camp takes something I can never get back. Pieces of me I can never get back,' he said. 'I'm gonna leave a piece of myself out there next weekend. That's just something that I've come to terms with. But fighting is just something I do. I'm a father and a husband and a business owner and a brother and a son. I'm a lot of other things. Fighting is just something I do.'
Evening Standard
19-07-2025
- Evening Standard
UFC 318: Holloway vs Poirier 3 start time, schedule, fight card, how to watch and latest odds today
Poirier - who will be accompanied to the octagon on Saturday night by Lil Wayne - has lost three of his last five fights including those latter title challenges against Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev, by whom he was submitted in the fifth round of a thriller in the main event of UFC 302 in New Jersey last summer.
Scottish Sun
18-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
‘Don't want to empty myself out' – Dustin Poirier reveals heartfelt fears which prompted UFC 318 retirement
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DUSTIN POIRIER insists he's content with his decision to retire from mixed martial arts, That's despite still being very much at the peak of his powers. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 14 Dustin Poirier will bid an emotional farewell to mixed martial arts and UFC fans this weekend Credit: GETTY 14 The fan favourite will call time on his MMA career after 18 years competing as a professional Credit: USA TODAY SPORTS 14 Poirier has fought a who's who at featherweight and lightweight Credit: GETTY 14 Poirier will walk away from the fight game with over 50 professional fights to his name Credit: GETTY The bona fide Hall of Famer's career will come to an emotional and poetic end early on Sunday morning in the main event of UFC 318 in New Orleans. Unlike many before him, the 36-year-old's hanging up of the gloves hasn't been prompted by the regression of his skillset or the absorption of unnecessary punishment. In his last two fights with Islam Makhachev and Benoit Saint Denis, the Lafayette, Louisiana leftie has shown that he can still mix it with the very best the lightweight division has to offer. But he's determined to walk away from the sport which has brought him fame and fortune on his terms and, more importantly, while he still has all his faculties intact. READ MORE UFC NEWS WHAT A DUST UP Poirier reveals the one fight he'd love to relive ahead of UFC retirement In an exclusive interview with SunSport, he said: "I've been fighting since I was 17 years old, so making this decision is tough. "But the decision was made because, you know, I have over 50 fights. "My wife's pregnant, I have a little girl at home. I've said this over and over again, 'I don't want this sport to retire me. "'I want to walk away from this sport.' And if that's putting only great performances and fighting and beating the best guys in the world, that's the way I want it to be. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 14 Dustin Poirier showed he can still mix it with the elite with his March 2024 KO of Benoit Saint-Denis Credit: GETTY 14 He also went four-and-a-half rounds with former pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev Credit: GETTY 14 But 'The Diamond' insists now is the right time to hang up his gloves Credit: GETTY "I want to go out on top with stuff still left in the tank. "I don't want to empty myself out and leave this game broken and bruised for a paycheck. "It's just time. I just feel like it's time, you know. I've done a lot in the sport. "And I want to be healthy and be with my family. I've been doing this for a very long time." Poirier's eagerness not to have the sport retire him is wise, given the worrying effects of traumatic brain injuries we're starting to see in some of the greats of yesteryear. The temptation to continue fighting and pursue undisputed UFC gold, the only thing which has eluded him in his run in the promotion, has been strong. Even just this week, the little devil on his left shoulder was telling him to go full 'Wolf of Wall Street' and roar: "I'm not f*****g leaving!" He admitted: "There are moments like when I'm driving to the gym and stuff that reality sets in. "And [I'm like], 'I can't believe this is the last time I'm ever gonna do this. But my decision has been made." Poirier will likely go down as the greatest fighter to never have an undisputed UFC title wrapped around his waist. I don't want to empty myself out and leave this game broken and bruised for a paycheck." Dustin Poirier on why he's retiring from MMA 14 Dustin Poirier came up short in his first crack at undisputed UFC gold in September 2019 Credit: GETTY 14 More title heartache wouldld befall Poirier when he fought Charles Oliveira two years later Credit: GETTY 14 Third time wouldn't be the charm for Poirier when he fought Islam Makhachev last June Credit: GETTY Winning one of his three cracks at the lightweight title would've undoubtedly further cemented what is an already historic career. But those losses to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Charles Oliveira and Makhachev won't eat away at him as much as you'd think. "I'm grateful for everything," he said. "All the lessons I've learned and the accomplishments I've had throughout the sport. "I had a good run, I really did. And I'm proud of it." MMA retirements are often looked at with a side-eye due to the sheer number of fighters who have performed U-turns or entered the world of boxing. But with mental and physical well-being now being his top priority, Poirier insists neither will end up being the case for him. He said: "I'm still going to be in the gym, so we'll see about grappling. "If something fun came along, maybe I would do a grappling match or something like that in the future. "But [as far as] combat sports, I'm gonna protect my brain and try to age as healthy as I can after post-fighting." 14 Dustin Poirier admits he's thought about reversing his retirement decision Credit: REUTERS 14 The 37-year-old admits he doesn't know how he'll fill the void left by fighting Credit: GETTY 14 Poirier insists his retirement stretches to all forms of combat sports Credit: Getty Countless pugilists and mixed martial artists have publicly struggled with life after fighting, with many openly admitting they've suffered identity crises. Unlike many before him, Poirier has financial interests outside of fighting to keep himself busy. Although he admits: "I don't think anything's ever gonna fill that void of what fighting was throughout my career. "So that could be a little bit of struggle to be at war with something so deeply the way I've been with combat sports." The honour of being Poirier's last dance partner, fittingly, goes to a man he welcomed to the UFC 13 years ago - former featherweight champion Max Holloway. Poirier is 2-0 in his series with the Hawaiian, who was his dance partner when he claimed interim lightweight gold at UFC 236 in April 2019. That fight was a war for the ages, something Poirier believes will be the case when they collide again in their Bayou brawl this weekend. "I feel like it's gonna be a lot like the last one," he said when asked how he foresees his swansong playing out. "Back and forth on the feet, but just at a higher level and a higher IQ. "It's going to be a battle, you know. It's gonna be a battle like the second one, I'm sure."
