Latest news with #MaxHolloway
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Was Dustin Poirier thinking the same thing we all were when he jumped for the guillotine?
The legendary Dustin Poirier closes the day after his retirement war with Max Holloway at UFC 318. He discusses ending his career in Louisiana, jumping the gilly, Lil Wayne's walkout, filming "Fightville 2," and more.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Max Holloway Sends a Clear Message to Ilia Topuria After His UFC 318 Victory
Max Holloway Sends a Clear Message to Ilia Topuria After His UFC 318 Victory originally appeared on Athlon Sports. A dominant win at UFC 318 sets the stage for a potential high-stakes rematch. It was an emotional night at UFC 318, as fans witnessed the farewell fight of a true legend. Dustin Poirier closed out his storied career in front of a roaring hometown crowd in New Orleans, but the night belonged to Max Holloway. In their trilogy bout, Holloway avenged his loss from UFC 236 in emphatic fashion, silencing the crowd and reminding everyone that his story is far from over. But even in a night filled with history, Holloway's post-fight comments hinted that the chapter ahead could be just as compelling. In a post-fight interview with Carlos Contreras Legaspi, captured by Championship Rounds, Holloway was asked point-blank about running it back with Ilia Topuria. His response was raw: 'For doing what he did to me. The first man to [knock me out]. Of course I want revenge.' Those words quickly ignited speculation about what's next for the former champion. Interestingly, Holloway wasn't shy about Topuria during fight week either. While acknowledging the Spaniard's recent success, he also downplayed the streak: 'He has names and he beat the names — you can't deny that,' Holloway said. 'It just sucks with everything that was going on with that Volk fight… people are just looking at the name and not the record. Charles was on a 1-fight win streak. At the end of the day, they're just names. UFC is lining them up and he's just knocking them down.' With a decisive win over Poirier and a move toward the lightweight mix, a Holloway-Topuria rematch is definitely an option. It's personal, it's marketable, and it could settle one of the most shocking results in recent UFC history. If the UFC wants a fight fans will rally behind, this is the one. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dustin Poirier's boxing coach pinpoints when Max Holloway fight was 'getting away from us'
NEW ORLEANS – Dyah Davis did his best to urge Dustin Poirier into more exchanges with Max Holloway at UFC 318, but ultimately it wasn't enough. Poirier (30-10 MMA, 22-9 UFC) came up short of his fairytale retirement end this past Saturday when he dropped a unanimous decision to Holloway (27-8 MMA, 23-8 UFC) in their BMF title trilogy bout in front of a raucous home state crowd in Louisiana. It was a largely thrilling affair, with Poirier getting hurt by strikes in the first and second rounds before nearly scoring a wild finish of his own late in Round 2. It was during that time where Davis, who served as a longtime boxing coach to Davis, started to see where the fight was really trending, and did his best to alter it. "I felt like I needed more volume," Davis told MMA Junkie. "We had to keep up with Max's pace. There were instances in the fight where I was asking him to be first, or, 'If you land a good shot to follow it up. You've got to test the water to see if the guy is hurt. You land a big shot, you've got to follow up and put him away.' In between rounds I was asking for more volume. "After Round 2, I kind of felt like the fight was getting away from us a little bit. I was trying to be instrumental in the corner to make sure he could go out there and change the direction of the fight. Even though he almost finished him in the second, going into Round 3 and Round 4, the writing was a little bit on the wall. In order to try to change the trajectory of the fight, I needed more output." Poirier, 36, couldn't deliver that output and lost by 48-47, 49-46 and 49-46 scorecards. Holloway outlanded him 198-to-109 in significant strikes, with each being credited with one knockdown. "I try to watch the fight from an unbiased eye," Davis said. "Max's volume and body work was on display. He was busier. He was getting off and he was mobile, so he was able to get off his shots and then move. It kind of felt like we were almost chasing him a little bit and not able to get off when he was in position to punch." Although everyone on Poirier's team would've like to see him win the retirement fight, the result was somewhat inconsequential when "The Diamond" put down the gloves and was celebrated for his career. Davis has been there for much of the journey, with Poirier's knockout of Conor McGregor at UFC 257 in January 2021 being a distinct moment. Their personal relationship will go on, but Davis admits the process leading up to his farewell bout and the subsequent aftermath has led to much emotional turbulence. "Leading up this fight it's been bittersweet," Davis said. "We know he's had a monumental career and it's coming to an end, but he deserves to see what's on the other side of it. He's been at this for a very long time. It's bittersweet, but I'm happy." This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Dustin Poirier's boxing coach pinpoints errors in UFC retirement loss
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dustin Poirier's boxing coach pinpoints when Max Holloway fight was 'getting away from us'
NEW ORLEANS – Dyah Davis did his best to urge Dustin Poirier into more exchanges with Max Holloway at UFC 318, but ultimately it wasn't enough. Poirier (30-10 MMA, 22-9 UFC) came up short of his fairytale retirement end this past Saturday when he dropped a unanimous decision to Holloway (27-8 MMA, 23-8 UFC) in their BMF title trilogy bout in front of a raucous home state crowd in Louisiana. It was a largely thrilling affair, with Poirier getting hurt by strikes in the first and second rounds before nearly scoring a wild finish of his own late in Round 2. It was during that time where Davis, who served as a longtime boxing coach to Davis, started to see where the fight was really trending, and did his best to alter it. "I felt like I needed more volume," Davis told MMA Junkie. "We had to keep up with Max's pace. There were instances in the fight where I was asking him to be first, or, 'If you land a good shot to follow it up. You've got to test the water to see if the guy is hurt. You land a big shot, you've got to follow up and put him away.' In between rounds I was asking for more volume. "After Round 2, I kind of felt like the fight was getting away from us a little bit. I was trying to be instrumental in the corner to make sure he could go out there and change the direction of the fight. Even though he almost finished him in the second, going into Round 3 and Round 4, the writing was a little bit on the wall. In order to try to change the trajectory of the fight, I needed more output." Poirier, 36, couldn't deliver that output and lost by 48-47, 49-46 and 49-46 scorecards. Holloway outlanded him 198-to-109 in significant strikes, with each being credited with one knockdown. "I try to watch the fight from an unbiased eye," Davis said. "Max's volume and body work was on display. He was busier. He was getting off and he was mobile, so he was able to get off his shots and then move. It kind of felt like we were almost chasing him a little bit and not able to get off when he was in position to punch." Although everyone on Poirier's team would've like to see him win the retirement fight, the result was somewhat inconsequential when "The Diamond" put down the gloves and was celebrated for his career. Davis has been there for much of the journey, with Poirier's knockout of Conor McGregor at UFC 257 in January 2021 being a distinct moment. Their personal relationship will go on, but Davis admits the process leading up to his farewell bout and the subsequent aftermath has led to much emotional turbulence. "Leading up this fight it's been bittersweet," Davis said. "We know he's had a monumental career and it's coming to an end, but he deserves to see what's on the other side of it. He's been at this for a very long time. It's bittersweet, but I'm happy." This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Dustin Poirier's boxing coach pinpoints errors in UFC retirement loss
Yahoo
7 days 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.
