Latest news with #FightoftheNight
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Dustin Poirier 'content' after UFC 318, points to sign that retirement was right call
NEW ORLEANS – Dustin Poirier has no regrets walking away from MMA after UFC 318. Poirier (30-10 MMA, 22-9 UFC) didn't get his fairytale ending after losing a unanimous decision to Max Holloway (27-8 MMA, 23- 8 UFC) for the BMF title in Saturday's headliner at Smoothie King Center. However, that doesn't mean that Poirier isn't grateful for the experience of having his retirement fight in his home state of Louisiana. "I feel content," Poirier told MMA Junkie a day after his fight. "Yeah, I feel content and happy with my career. Wish last night would have went a little bit different, but that's fighting, and I really had a good time out there, enjoyed the love, appreciated everybody. Seeing all the positive energy, it's been an incredible journey, an incredible career. What an experience. I got to learn so much in these years of fighting. I'm just thankful." Poirier initially took issue with the judges' scorecards, thinking he at least won Rounds 2 and 4. "Going through the fight and immediately my thoughts about what just happened, it was like I thought I did enough. I thought I did enough," Poirier said. "And then I got back and I watched it, like what you're feeling and going through in there, and then what you see as a fool from an outside view is two different things. I can see him winning rounds, throwing more volume, landing body shots, pulling away in rounds. So, what I watched was different than what I felt." Poirier and Holloway didn't earn Fight of the Night, which shocked Holloway, but "The Diamond" is happy that his last dance was another all-out war. Poirier proved to still be competitive at the highest level, but he noticed something that made him feel that retiring was the correct decision. "I just wanted one more battle, and he gave it to me," Poirier said. "I think in there, I felt like in between rounds talking to my boxing coach, I could have taken more chances, but I was trying to protect myself at the same time, and I never really fought like that before. I would always put myself in harm's way to land the big shots, and this one I didn't, and maybe that's a sign that the decision I made was the right one. Self-preservation, get home to my family safe, that type of thing."
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC 318 takeaways: Max Holloway's chances vs. Ilia Topuria, Dustin Poirier's fitting exit
What mattered most at UFC 318 on Saturday from Smoothie King Center in New Orleans? Here are a few post-fight musings … 4) A sensational set of prelims The finishes came hot and heavy early in UFC's return to New Orleans after more than 10 years, with the first six bouts on the card ending in a knockout or submission. It was a welcome sign after some dreadful prelim lineups in recent months, and it was all favorites who held serve. Jimmy Crute getting his first victory in nearly five years was one of the top moments, as was the vicious first-round knockout of debuting welterweight prospect Islam Dulatov. The middleweight bout between Brendan Allen and Marvin Vettori was perhaps the most meaningful matchup on the preliminary-card lineup, with Allen getting the victory by unanimous decision in a very important moment in his career after consecutive losses. Credit to both men, however, because they delivered a fight worthy of their grudge, and the UFC brass agreed with each getting $50,000 for Fight of the Night. 3) Daniel Rodriguez and Kevin Holland deliver After three years of waiting to share the cage, Daniel Rodriguez and Kevin Holland made up for all that lost time with a welterweight classic that saw "D-Rod" emerge victorious by unanimous decision. It was an awesome fight, and one that extended Rodriguez's momentum into a three-fight winning streak, while Holland fell to 2-2 on the year, and was knocked down for the first time in his 28-fight UFC career. Both guys should get credit for what they produced in the cage, and probably should've been the rightful winners of Fight of the Night. It didn't happen, but the 15-minute war was an example of why both Rodriguez and Holland should be appointment viewing any time they enter the octagon. 2) Dustin Poirier a winner despite his defeat Dustin Poirier, of course, would've liked for his retirement fight to end in a winning manner with his hand being raised in front of a passionate crowd of fans, but fairy tale endings rarely exist in MMA. He nearly had that moment when he badly hurt and knocked down Holloway in the second round, but could not seal the deal, then fell short on the scorecards. Realistically, though, Poirier not winning the fight will be just a footnote in his retirement story. The real thing he should attach himself to is the treatment he received from the UFC, the fans and his fellow fighters both before and after the fight, which is a reflection of the widespread admiration he's earned for himself. It might be cliche at this point, but Poirier is the definition of a true fighter. His incentives for getting into this sport were not to get social media clout or be viewed as a cool, tough guy. His passion for fist fighting was his path out of a troubled youth, and he turned it into a sustainable career, and now, ultimately one that has given him financial freedom for life and generational wealth on top of it. That's the real win for Poirier after UFC 318, and he rightfully left the cage, his post-fight interviews and the arena with his head held high, knowing that he committed every part of his being to maximizing his time. He will still be around the sport as a voice, but from every explanation he gave about why he was doing this now, there will be no luring him back, and everyone should be happy he left on his terms. 1) What is lightweight Max Holloway capable of? Max Holloway played his role as the opposing force to Poirier's retirement fight pretty much perfectly from beginning to end. He handled the entire situation with class and dignity, and although the crowd obliged his call to be booed on multiple instances, not one of those boos was genuine. How could they be, really? Holloway is a class act and knows what he was going up against. He never tried to take away from Poirier's moment, even when the spotlight was all on himself after getting his hand raised to successfully defend the BMF title. The question for Holloway now, however, is what this win truly tells us about him at this stage of his career. On the positive end, the former featherweight champion has looked excellent overall in his past two appearances at lightweight against Poirier and Justin Gaethje. His speed is there, and as we've seen in him dropping both men, the power is present, too. That will only become a bigger threat as time goes on and he finds increased comfort at this weight class, but on the flip side, there's going to be persistent questions about whether his record amount of significant strikes absorbed in UFC competition will eventually catch up. There's already signs, because after going on the longest streak in company history without being knocked down, Holloway has found himself dropped and touching the mat at some point in his past three contests. The knockdown he never got back up from came against Ilia Topuria in October, as "El Matador" became the first to knock out Holloway. It's obvious that doesn't sit well with him, and Holloway is eager to get his chance at a rematch. Is there a ton of reason to think it would go any differently? Both men would be bigger and stronger than the previous encounter, and before he was stopped, a strong argument can be made that Holloway was finding more success against Topuria than anyone else on his recent run. Topuria has been a force of nature inside that octagon during his undefeated rise to winning titles in two divisions. He is not someone you pick against at this point in time, and still has many challengers ahead. Holloway might not get that rematch now or next, but it's not out of the realm of possibility. Would he be favored to defeat Topuria in a rematch? Certainly not. But Holloway is one of the greatest to ever do it, and anyone pretending someone of his skill, experience and motivation isn't capable of winning if he shows up in form on the right night?
Al Etihad
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Al Etihad
'Bullet' Magomedov out to hunt for 'Powerbar' Barriault
20 July 2025 23:08 KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI) Dagestani middleweight Sharaptudin "Bullet" Magomedov is aiming for a high-octane return to the Octagon when he faces Marc-André "Powerbar" Barriault at UFC Fight Night on July 26 in Abu Dhabi, pledging a refined and focused performance in the middleweight category following his first UFC loss to Michael Page in a 4-1 UFC record, Magomedov built a reputation for wild, crowd-pleasing fights, securing three 'Fight of the Night' bonuses before the setback against Page, nicknamed Venom, earlier this year. The one-eyed Magomedov, affectionately called Sharo, will be the fan favourite in the other middleweight bout on a card headlined by former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and Dutch standout Reinier de Ridder, who has made an impressive transition from the ONE Championship. The No.12-ranked De Ridder, undefeated in his three UFC bouts to date, could earn a division title eliminator should he defeat Whittaker. The UFC promotion is touting this weekend to go down in the global calendar as one of their expected top three most thrilling Fight Night cards of the the 30-year-old Magomedov, speaking ahead of the bout through an interpreter to Aletihad at the UFC Gym in Al Maqta Mall, said he is now taking his career more seriously and is determined to showcase a more complete version of his striking-heavy arsenal."Until now, in my bouts, I tried to show off every round. Now it is more about technique. I want the world to see my full arsenal," said Magomedov. The flamboyant striker admitted the loss to Page was a wake-up call. "Before, it was like a hobby. Now I want to show my professional side to the fans. I'm serious – for my health, for my team, for my training."There had been some speculation that the timing of the defeat - which followed a widely publicised meeting with football star Cristiano Ronaldo - may have caused distraction. Yet, Magomedov dismissed that idea but admitted physical limitations played a role in the loss."Ronaldo gave me motivation, he said to Telecom Asia Sport. "But my body was not ready, I was not completely healthy for that fight. Afterwards, Ronaldo called and told me not to worry – that it's just one loss, and to focus on the next fight. It gave me confidence again."Magomedov's opponent, Barriault, enters the Abu Dhabi clash following a win over Bruno Silva – the same fighter Magomedov knocked out on his UFC debut five bouts ago."I finished Bruno Silva with a knockout. Marc-André won after me when Bruno's career was going down. But Marc is strong – there are no weak opponents in UFC," he said. "He is like a firefighter, relentless, always going forward. But I am ready. I have an answer for every situation." Magomedov lost one eye in an injury early in his mixed martial arts career. Even then, his aggressive and unpredictable striking often stood in contrast with the dominant grappling style associated with Dagestani fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov. Incidentally, Magomedov has carved a path of his own after he could not join the famed academy of Khabib's father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, in his early years because he did not want to shave his head in training as the coach wanted to. Magomedov has acknowledged the stylistic divide but said he remains respectful of the former champion, who is now based in Dubai and remains a towering figure in the region's MMA landscape. "I respect Khabib very much. I have met him and listened to what he tells me. He is a great guy for all of us from Dagestan. He is more of a wrestler, I am a striker – so we have different styles. But when we meet, if he gives me any advice, I try to follow it."With UFC returning to the Middle East, Magomedov has promised fireworks – and perhaps another Fight of the Night – as he looks to reestablish himself as a force in the 84-kilogramme division. "This time, I am serious. So God help me – I will show all my arsenal."
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Dustin Poirier reflects on UFC 318 retirement fight: Scoring, guillotine attempt, more
Dustin Poirier's last UFC post-fight press conference. NEW ORLEANS – UFC 318 served as the closing stage of a legendary MMA career. Dustin Poirier, a former UFC interim lightweight champion and beloved figure in MMA, is officially done fighting. He announced he was retiring from MMA, and the UFC built an event around him, pitting him against "Baddest Motherf*cker" champion Max Holloway in the main event of the card, which took place at Smoothie King Center in his home state of (30-10 MMA, 22-9 UFC) didn't get to close out on a win, losing a unanimous decision against Holloway (27-8 MMA, 23-8 UFC). He wasn't so much bothered by the defeat, but by how it was seen by the judges sitting cage side. "Obviously, I wanted to win. Max is a great fighter, tough competitor," Poirier said at the UFC 318 post-fight press conference. "I just felt, being inside the eye of the storm, it just felt a lot closer to me. It felt it was 2-2 going into the fifth. Mike Brown checked the scorecards when we got to the locker room, and I think the judges gave me different rounds. I think all the judges gave him the second round, and I thought I almost had him out. He hurt me too, but I almost had him out. He hurt me, too, but when I thought when I followed up with elbows, I was cracking him. He told me in the medical tent, 'Man, you had me out.' We couldn't hear the bell. "Being in the fight, it felt a lot closer than that. I heard the judges say 49 whatever, and I was like, 'No, way. It was closer than that.' But like the man says, it is what it is." Poirier's best moment in the fight came in Round 2. He badly hurt the Hawaiian and went on to connect more shots. It looked like he wasn't far from a finish. In that sequence, Poirier went for his infamous guillotine choke, which he refers to as "guilly," and wasn't able to get it. Despite the memes and online chatter about his guillotine choke, Poirier has zero regret. "No, never. One last one," Poirier said. "And damn, I thought that was going to be the one. I had him hurt, and he rolled to his back and I just couldn't control him." Poirier, 36, closes his career on a two-fight losing streak, having lost to Islam Makhachev for the UFC lightweight title back in June 2024. This is the first time Poirier has suffered back-to-back losses in his 16-year professional MMA career. Although unideal, Poirier wouldn't want it any other way. "I thought I competed with the best guy in the world, and I thought it was close," Poirier said. "I felt good in there. The cardio felt good. My movement felt good. I wanted that. I wanted to go show that I can compete, make it close, so that I can say I'm still at the top of my game, and I'm going out because I want to. I wanted it to be a war and a drag-them-out fight." Although Poirier was never able to become an undisputed champion in the UFC, he leaves MMA as one of the most popular and beloved figures in MMA. He was in 10 Fight of the Night award-winning bouts, constantly in contention for Fight of the Year, and fought the who's who in his division over the last decade. "The Diamond" is proud of the legacy he's built, and felt the MMA community's recognition all through fight week. "I did make people feel certain ways, and inspired, and I didn't think about that," Poirier said. "The love and the outreach has been incredible, and I really feel it. I'm just thankful that people got inspired and followed my journey. You can do anything you put your mind to, and that's what I want my story to be."
USA Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Max Holloway, Dustin Poirier can't believe UFC 318 Fight of the Night bonus wasn't theirs
Congratulations to Brendan Allen and Marvin Vettori, but there's no way the UFC 318 Fight of the Night bonus should've gone to them. At least that's how Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier feel about it. Holloway and Poirier put on a Fight of the Year candidate in Saturday night's main event at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Holloway beat Poirier by unanimous decision in their trilogy, which also served as "The Diamond's" retirement fight. While Holloway vs. Poirier 3 was full of action and big moments, including each man knocking the other down in the second round, an extra $50,000 went to Allen and Vettori instead. Allen came away with a three-round unanimous decision win over Vettori. Backstage after UFC 318 concluded, Holloway and Poirier found out together that they were snubbed for the bonus. Their reaction was caught on video (via X), with Holloway calling the UFC's decision "bullsh*t" and Poirier highlighting that "we knocked each other out in the same round." The moment Dustin and Max find out they didn't got FOTN bonus#UFC318 Holloway reiterated his disbelief to reporters during the UFC 318 post-fight news conference. "I hope you guys give sh*t to (Dana White)," Holloway said. "How the hell did we not get Fight of the Night, bro? What is he thinking, bro? C'mon, Dana." Holloway and Poirier concluded their rivalry with Poirier up 2-1 after "The Diamond" won the first two encounters in 2012 and 2019 before Holloway's victory Saturday night.
