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Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mailbag: Is Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane one big letdown after our hopes for a Jon Jones fight?
Did Dustin Poirier let fans down in his final fight against Max Holloway at UFC 318? And how excited are we for Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane after expecting something much different? All that and more in this week's mailbag. To ask a question of your own, hit up @benfowlkesmma. @GabeDert: Holloway points down Dusty p doesn't get down And for the kind of fighter he was.. What the heck man How can we feel about that? I think we can understand. Can't we? Poirier told our own Ariel Helwani that part of it was feeling like he was falling behind the speedier Holloway in those exchanges, but also it was partly an impulse toward self-preservation. Yes, he wanted to win and go out on top with a BMF belt on his shoulder. But either way it was his last fight, and it might always only take one good punch to change your quality of life in retirement. I know fighters with plates and screws in their faces, nerve damage and cracked bones, stuff they still wince at when they roll out of bed. When you know it's the end regardless, how can you not think about how it's going to feel in the morning? At the same time, once you start thinking like that, it's probably time to go. Which, of course, is the same conclusion Poirier had already arrived at. @Beastin364: So it's really Tom v Gane for the heavyweight title next? I guess it makes sense and all but am I alone in being super disappointed? Nope, it's a letdown. UFC CEO Dana White spent much of the past six months assuring us, don't worry, he'd get a fight done between Tom Aspinall and Jon Jones. It was the only fight to make for the UFC heavyweight title. Turns out, nah, it was never really a possibility. Jones wanted none of it. After that, anything else (short of a Francis Ngannou return) was bound to feel like a disappointment. Aspinall vs. Gane is a fine fight. Just … fine. By the time we get there, we might even be excited for it. But it's hard to ignore that there were two monster fights on the horizon at the start of this year: Aspinall vs. Jones and Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria. So far, the UFC has turned zero of them into realities. And that's a bummer, man. @lyingawakezzz: Do you think Jon Jones lies awake at night wishing he received the send off Dustin Poirier got? Not yet. I think right now he still thinks that sendoff might be forthcoming. He's unretired (kind of) and back in the testing pool (allegedly), remember? But I did see Khabib Nurmagomedov this week saying that there's a difference between achievement and legacy. When it comes to achievement in this sport, he noted, Jones is at the top. But legacy? That hazier question of how people see you and what they say about you and whether or not they'd want their kids to be like you some day? That's a different story. And with Jones, right now it really feels like the MMA world is sick of this guy and glad to be rid of him — for now. @jmprobus: The year is 2050. A 1/4 century has passed, the current UFC regime is gone and the future regime has taken over. What does the landscape of the UFC and MMA, as a whole, look like? I assume it's all slap-fighting robots on the desolate plains of New Texas. The real fighting will be done on a barge anchored in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Phoenix. And somehow Derrick Lewis will still be a draw there. @shonplant: Señor Ben no joke I'm going on a family trip to Montana this summer, any recommendations? We got a car and can drive anywhere in the state Everyone is going to tell you to head up and see Glacier National Park. Which, yeah, it's glorious. I do recommend it (though crowds in summer can be an issue). But one of my personal favorite drives is along Highway 200 from Missoula to Great Falls. You coast through Lincoln, where the Unabomber's cabin was, then along the majestic views of the Rocky Mountain front, and finally into the Montana city that's home to an Air Force base and a disturbing stockpile of nuclear missiles. Don't pay too much attention to that, though. Instead, go to the Sip & Dip Lounge to see the (literal) mermaids waving to you from behind the bar. Tell them I send my fondest regards.
BreakingNews.ie
5 days ago
- Sport
- BreakingNews.ie
UFC 318: The last dance for Dustin Poirier
MMA will be waving goodbye to one of the most entertaining fighters the sport has seen, as Dustin Poirier makes the walk to the octagon for the final time at UFC 318. Poirier takes on Max Holloway for the third time, with the BMF belt on the line in New Orleans, Louisiana. Advertisement Arguably the best fighter to never win an undisputed title, Poirier has provided the sport with some incredible moments. Winning the interim belt against Holloway, knocking out Conor McGregor, going to war against Dan Hooker, the lightweight fighter will never be forgotten. In his three title fights, he was submitted by Khabib Nurmagomedov, Charles Olivera, and Islam Makhachev, and in true Poirier style, left everyone watching entertained. [caption id="attachment_1784539" align="alignnone" width="819"] Photo: Sofascore.[/caption] Advertisement For someone who has given so much to the UFC, it was only right his final fight was against someone who has also seen it all in Max Holloway. While Poirier is coming back from his defeat to Makhachev last June, Holloway is hoping to bounce back after he was knocked out for the first time in his career by Ilia Topuria. Two of the best boxers in the UFC, these men provided one of the best fights of all time at UFC 236, with Poirier the winner via decision. In fact, Holloway's first ever UFC was against Poirier, with Poirier winning via submission, the only other time Holloway was finsihed. Expect violence from both men, who will leave it all out there to make it a night to remember for the fans. Holloway won the BMF belt against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 with a last second knockout, and a win here could put him back in the title picture. For Poirier, he will want to leave the sport with a win, in what will likely be one of the fights of the year.
New York Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
UFC 318 odds, predictions: Holloway vs. Poirier 3, last bout for ‘The Diamond'
Another PPV is on the schedule this weekend, and it's a special one, as Dustin Poirier will take on Max Holloway for the third time in what is Poirier's final fight in the UFC. I will break down this main event and two others below on a heavy 14-fight card. If there are any additional matchups you'd like to chat about, please let me know in the comment section below. Advertisement Let's dive in! The UFC will bid farewell to legend and future Hall-of-Famer Poirier on Saturday, as he will step into the Octagon one last time for an epic trilogy matchup against familiar foe Holloway for the BMF belt. Holloway may hold the belt, but Poirier has raised his hand both times when he and Holloway have squared up inside the cage. The pair first fought in 2012, which was Holloway's UFC debut, and Poirier was able to land an early takedown and submit Holloway in the first round. But that fight occurred over 10 years ago and isn't relevant. What's far more pertinent is the pair's most recent matchup, which took place six years ago in 2019. In that instance, Holloway, the reigning champion of the featherweight division, stepped up and challenged Poirier for the interim lightweight belt. It was a competitive scrap, but Poirier won it unanimously. I thought Poirier separated from Holloway in that victory by landing the harder shots. Holloway fought competitively, as many rounds were closely contested, and Holloway still landed 181 significant strikes to Poirier's 178, though Poirier won the head strike battle 153 to 141. Holloway is one of the best, if not the best, volume strikers in the sport's history. Poirier kept up with him to reach a career high in significant strikes landed in a lightweight bout, and as the better-framed lightweight fighter, he was more physical. And as far as the trilogy fight — yes, this is a retirement bout for Poirier, which is usually a bearish signal, but it's not as if he's washed. He's still churning along in the lightweight division. Holloway is once again coming up a weight class after challenging for the featherweight belt, and the general dynamic remains the same. I expect we'll again see a very competitive scrap with similar dynamics. What throws a wrench into the analysis is that, unlike last time, both fighters are a bit worn down. Obviously, Poirier is leaving the sport, but Holloway is coming off a knockout loss, the first knockout loss of his career. Advertisement Poirier has also suffered a recent knockout, though less recently than Holloway. Gaethje (who Holloway obliterated a year later) knocked Poirier out with a head kick in 2023. But both fighters can be hurt and also still dish out damage. From a projection standpoint, the most likely outcome is a tight fight that goes the distance. If forced to choose, I lean toward Holloway because I have more faith in his offensive production. He landed 181 sig. strikes the first time the two met, but we've also seen Holloway land 230, 290 and 445 significant strikes over the course of five rounds. Poirier is less likely to reach those ceilings and will rely more on power. Plus, most fighters do not win in their retirement fights. I'm not excited to bet on this fight for reasons explained above, but I think the most likely outcome is a Holloway decision, which you can find at +165 on some books. Poirier is +275 to win by decision, which I also don't mind. Let's hope these two come together and put on a show one last time, for Poirier's sake. Thanks for the memories! This matchup also offers little betting value, though Marvin Vettori could be much more competitive than the odds have it. I think the Vettori line has value. However, you can find him at +180 elsewhere, which I'd prefer. Brendan Allen is a very strong submission grappler with a black belt in jiu-jitsu, and he excels in matchups where he has a grappling advantage on paper. He also lands 1.53 takedowns per 15 minutes and attempts 1.3 subs per fight. But in striking-based matchups, I have much less faith in him. He's improved over the years, training with Henri Hooft, but he's not a volume machine or very defensively sound. Allen lands 3.55 sig. strikes per minute while absorbing 3.67 per minute with a 45 percent defensive rate, which is bad. Advertisement Now he takes on Marvin Vettori, a former title challenger who's looked poor over the past several years. After sitting on the shelf for two years, Vettori has lost three of his past four fights and recently dropped a five-round decision against Roman Dolidze. But Vettori is still a competitive fighter. He's well-rounded and very tough. His boxing is fine, and he lands 4.54 sig. strikes per minute, while absorbing 4.37 per minute with a 56 percent defensive rate. He can also grapple well, holding a brown belt in jiu-jitsu and landing 1.51 takedowns per 15 minutes with a 69 percent defensive rate. What's most notable from my point of view is that Vettori doesn't get dominated on the mat. He can give up a takedown, but his takedown defense is fine, and he's never been submitted. Allen has more grappling upside of the two on paper, but he isn't a phenomenal wrestler and doesn't even average two takedowns per fight. If he can immediately secure the back, he will have a shot to control and threaten Vettori. Otherwise, Vettori probably defends outright or scrambles back to his feet on the few occasions Allen takes him down. If this is a boxing fight, I'm expecting it to be highly competitive. Allen might be the fresher party of the two, but Vettori is a bit more defensively sound and durable and has landed strikes at a higher rate historically. I think he has a real path to victory, though that path is narrow. Ultimately, I won't be shocked if Allen raises his hand. But I think the value lies in Vettori at +180, and I think Vettori, by decision, holds value at +235 or better. I may be overexposed to Jimmy Crute this week with some questionable fighting talents on the slate. Not only has Crute failed to win each of his past five fights, but he also announced both his retirement and un-retirement during that four-year span. Plus, he's sitting at the cheap price of -300. Oof. But despite the scary aspects of Crute's game, of which there are many, I think he's performed well, at times, during his recent five-fight skid. And to be fair, only three of those five fights were losses, with the other two resulting in a draw. Crute has only fought once since his return to the sport, and in that bout against Rodolfo Bellato, Crute hurt Bellato badly early and nearly secured the stoppage. Advertisement Now he'll take on Marcin Prachnio, who was brutally knocked out in his first three UFC matchups. That was seven years ago, though, and since then, Prachnio has successfully earned four wins in seven matchups, which is a far more impressive run than I ever thought possible. I was surprised he was able to hold a roster spot early on. He's a black belt in karate and relies on an outside kicking game, where he lands 5.57 sig. strikes per minute, while absorbing 3.24 per minute with a 54 percent defensive rate. If you allow Prachnio to strike at distance for 15 minutes, he can rack up kicks and win on volume. He even defeated Khalil Rountree Jr. by decision in 2021, outlanding him 102 to 41. He also landed 101 sig. strikes against Devin Clark in 2024. However, Prachnio has lost two of his last three fights on the mat, where I think he's looked awful. He has now been taken down 10 times in his previous three losses, and he defends takedowns at a poor 53 percent. What is worse is that he doesn't have skills from the bottom. He's been submitted with an arm-triangle choke in back-to-back losses, and in his most recent defeat, he tapped out of position. Crute is levels ahead of Prachnio on the floor, and it would be a horrible game plan to avoid pursuing takedowns. Crute lands 3.86 takedowns per 15 minutes, holding a black belt in jiu-jitsu, and we've seen him have ground-based success on a few occasions. I worry a little about Crute's stamina if it goes the distance, but he should be able to land takedowns, and I think it's likely he finishes the fight on the mat. However, he can still make mistakes. He has fought with poor game plans before, been knocked out, and his cardio is questionable, leaving the door open for Prachnio to kick his way to a decision or find a variance-related knockout. I'm putting my faith behind Crute; this is his best matchup in the past five years. I think he's fairly safe to win, given his well-rounded skill set and clear advantage on the ground, and I don't mind taking chances on his finishing props at -130 to win ITD, or +170 to win by submission. (Photo of Holloway vs. Poirier 2: Logan Riely / Getty Images)
The Sun
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
UFC 318 – Max Holloway vs Dustin Poirier: Start time, TV channel, live stream, & full card for huge BMF title fight
DUSTIN POIRIER headlines UFC 318 as he takes on Max Holloway in their trilogy fight for the BMF belt this Saturday! Fighting in his hometown of New Orleans, Poirier has one last shot at winning a non-interim title before he hangs up the gloves. 2 After many miles on the clock, Poirier has announced that this will be his final fight and is set to retire. And what a way to bow out, by going up against UFC superstar Max Holloway, who will defend his BMF belt in the third fight between them. With BMF standing for Baddest Mother F***er, these bouts never disappoint - and this one certainly won't. The pair have already shared the Octagon twice, with Dustin Poirier holding two wins over the Hawaiian. Their first clash came early in their careers, while the second, in 2019, was an all-action war that saw Poirier capture the interim lightweight title. Despite being 2-0 up, fans are still buzzing for this trilogy bout, and with two veterans who always deliver excitement, it's all but guaranteed to live up to the hype. UFC 318 also delivers some big names on the undercard, with fan favourite Paulo Costa making a return to the octagon vs Roman Kopylov. Kevin Holland features on this card to face Daniel 'D-Rod' Rodriguez in a welterweight showdown - this marks Holland's fourth fight of 2025. SunSport has all the details for this card as Dustin Poirier makes his final walk to the Octagon. When is UFC 318: Poirier vs Holloway Max Holloway vs Dustin Poirier will take place on Saturday, July 19. The preliminary action of the UFC 318 card is expected to get underway around 3am BST (Sunday) / 10pm ET. However, timings could change depending on the length of the other bouts. UFC 318 will be hosted at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. What TV channel is UFC 318 on and can it be live streamed? UFC 318 will be shown live on TNT Sports in the UK. You can live stream all the action from TNT Sports and the Discovery+ app, which is available on your computer, mobile or tablet device. UFC 318 full card Main Event - Dustin Poirier vs Max Holloway - BMF title 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 Early Prelims Adam Fugit vs Islam Dulatov Jimmy Crute vs Marcin Prachnio Ryan Spann vs Lukasz Brzeski Brunno Ferreira vs Jackson Mcvey Carli juice vs Nicolle Caliari What's been said? In an exclusive interview, Dustin Poirier told SunSport about why he wants to retire. He said: "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."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Max Holloway has a thankless task ahead of him at UFC 318 — yet that's just fine with him
It's true that when Max Holloway went down to Rio de Janeiro to unify the featherweight title against Jose Aldo in 2017, he didn't receive the warmest reception. He heard some boos, but he'd already won the hearts of fight fans by that time through a steady dose of perseverance and pidgin speak, so the 'uh vai morrer' chants were barely meant. When he fought Sweden's own Akira Corassani in Stockholm, well, they booed him there, too, but he drowned them out with efficiency. He needed just three minutes and change to disappoint the natives, an action which they quickly forgave. That's because Holloway's never really been a heel. And the truth is, he isn't this time, either, as he gets set to take on Louisiana's favorite son, Dustin Poirier, in the heart of New Orleans at UFC 318. Yet there is so much love out there for Poirier's swan song that it's tempting to see Max as a nuisance in town to spoil the festivities. The UFC ran a promo of Tremé/Lafitte's own Trombone Shorty playing a version of 'House of the Rising Sun' to welcome Poirier home. Bourbon Street is glittering with diamonds, and the sentiment all week has been that those babies are forever. All except this one, who is walking away after what will be his 32nd fight in the UFC. The sendoff shindig they're throwing for Poirier is a testament to how much he's meant to MMA. His very own pay-per-view. It's Holloway's BMF belt that will be at stake, but that's a secondary attraction to the idea of two legends putting a bow on a drawn-out trilogy. Poirier has beat Max twice in the past. The biggest difference is that this time Max is a real 155-pounder, rather than in the 2019 sequel where he was a featherweight masquerading as one. The first fight was so long ago that it's hard to believe there's surviving footage. It happened at UFC 143, in 2012, when Max was just 20 years old. Lifetimes have come and gone. They've fought more than 60 combined fights since that first encounter. These 13 years later, Poirier meeting Holloway is a rare full-circle moment in MMA. It's a wild fight. And from a romantic standpoint, it would be amazing to see Poirier ride off into the sunset with the BMF title strapped over his shoulder, while all of Louisiana celebrates the occasion. Problem is the UFC's business model is strictly unromantic. Traditionally, it sends its legends off with a cruel beating. They fed Frankie Edgar to the much younger Chris Gutierrez in his farewell fight at Madison Square Garden, just 75 miles from Toms River, New Jersey where Frankie grew up, and it was one of the more depressing farewells you'll ever see. The UFC already tried a version of that by throwing Poirier to Benoit Saint-Denis in March 2024. All that did was set him up for a unexpected title shot. The worst you can say about Saturday's main event is that it sucks that somebody has to lose. In contemplating tomorrows, though, Holloway is the only one with real stakes. A victory could mean he's on his way to a title fight against the man who recently beat him at 145 pounds, Ilia Topuria. Or, you know — maybe not! He just watched Paddy Pimblett face off with Topuria in the Octagon after Topuria won the vacant title a few weeks back at UFC 317. Holloway knows he could be fighting just to stay in the proverbial mix. Which of course is a thankless task. Max is being asked to ruin the party on Saturday night, to sober up the French Quarter and replace all the beads with leis. In some ways, he relishes being the 'bad guy.' He did his part to rile things up by saying that 'gumbo sucks' at UFC 318's pre-fight press conference on Thursday, which was about as offensive as he runs. Yet there almost seems to be a gentleman's agreement in place that the fight will very much be a fight. That it will deliver. And in celebrating Poirier's legacy — which includes his redemption against Conor McGregor, that comeback against "BSD," the barnburner with Dan Hooker, all the way back to upsetting Josh Grispi in his promotional debut — you know he will try to put on a show. He will default into the thing that has distinguished him for the past 13 years in the UFC, into the brawler who refuses to go out on anything other than his shield. Of course, Max will meet him there, because that's what Max does. When he pointed to the center of the Octagon against Ricardo Lamas at UFC 199 toward the end of the fight, he was already up on the scorecards. The firefight was a bonus. He did the same thing in winning the BMF belt against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300, in a fight that people thought he was crazy to take to begin with. He rolled out his chin on a red carpet and said "come get it" to the man who was already down. And with a second left, he dropped Gaethje where he stood in what the UFC has called 'the greatest knockout of all time.' They will pull for Louisiana's native son in New Orleans, but you can't hate on Max. Why? Because even if you're booing him, he's always had the fight game's interest in mind. He's not a heel. He will make sure that he does his part to put on a show, which is why we all love Max. And he knows just how to send off a beloved legend.
