Latest news with #UFC143
Daily Tribune
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Tribune
Dustin Poirier to Cap UFC Career with Max Holloway Trilogy Title Fight
TDT | Manama Dustin Poirier, the Louisiana-born mixed martial arts star, will bring his UFC career to a close with a blockbuster trilogy fight against Max Holloway for the BMF title on 19 July at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The 36-year-old lightweight, hailing from Lafayette, Louisiana, will face Holloway, 33, for the third time in a highly anticipated clash to headline UFC 318. Poirier previously defeated the Hawaiian in their two encounters—first via a first-round submission at UFC 143 in 2012 and then by unanimous decision at UFC 236 in 2019. Both fighters are coming off defeats in championship bouts. Poirier (30-9) was submitted by lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in June 2024, while Holloway (26-8), the current BMF titleholder, suffered a knockout loss to featherweight champion Ilia Topuria in October 2024. The event marks the UFC's return to New Orleans after a 10-year absence, and the significance of Poirier fighting in his home state is not lost on UFC executive vice president Peter Dropick. 'It's a special moment for Dustin Poirier to close his remarkable career in New Orleans,' Dropick said. 'We're grateful to the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, the Louisiana Office of Tourism, New Orleans & Company, and Smoothie King Center for making this possible. The fans are ready for our return.' The card also features a compelling middleweight bout between No. 10-ranked Marvin Vettori (19-8-1) and No. 11 Brendan Allen (24-7). The pair were set to meet at UFC Vegas 90 in April 2024, but Vettori's withdrawal led to an unsanctioned altercation at a Florida casino later that year. Their official encounter is expected to be explosive. Other notable fights include:
USA Today
30-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 318 main event
Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 318 main event Dustin Poirier will look to cap off his career at home at UFC 318. Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway preview Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) will face BMF champion Max Holloway (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC) for a third time in what will be the final fight of his MMA career. "The Diamond" already holds two wins over Holloway – a bonus-winning submission at UFC 143, then over seven years later to claim the interim lightweight title at UFC 236. In his most recent outing, Poirier fell short in his pursuit for undisputed gold for a third time when he was submitted by lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 in June. Meanwhile, Holloway is also coming off a title loss when he was knocked out for the first time in his career by Ilia Topuria at UFC 308. Prior to that, Holloway knocked out Justin Gaethje to capture the BMF belt at UFC 300. Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway odds According to DraftKings, Poirier is a slight -115 favorite to beat BMF champion Holloway, who's a -105 underdog. How to watch Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway at UFC 318
USA Today
25-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Dustin Poirier plans to 'retire with BMF belt' in dream final fight at UFC 318
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. – Dustin Poirier received everything he wanted from the UFC for his retirement fight. It's now official that former interim UFC lightweight champion Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) will compete in his final MMA bout when he meets BMF titleholder Max Holloway (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC) in the UFC 318 main event on July 19 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans (ESPN+ pay-per-view). After telling MMA Junkie in August that he was torn on competing one more time following a title-fight loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 in June, Poirier made the decision to do one more, with a vision of what a perfect last dance could look like. The promotion ticked all the boxes. From giving him the perfect location in his home state of Louisiana, to an opponent that is as decorated as any member of the active UFC roster, and event a BMF belt on the line – it's a uniquely high-stakes exit for one of the sport's all-time greats. "This has been a long time in the works, getting Louisiana on board, getting the UFC to even think about coming back to Louisiana," Poirier told MMA Junkie. "It's happening. I'm super excited. There's nobody else I would rather be standing across from when I lay the gloves down, or when I go into my final fight. Max is a legend. I've got so much respect for the guy. He's done it all right. I was his first fight in the UFC, and he's going to be my last." Poirier first met Holloway in a preliminary-card featherweight bout at UFC 143 in February 2012. Then 23, Poirier spoiled the short-notice octagon debut of a then-20-year-old Holloway with a first-round submission. The pair would rematch at UFC 236 in April 2019, but the stakes were dramatically different from the first encounter. With then-champion Khabib Nurmagomedov unavailable, Poirier faced Holloway, the featherweight champion and riding a 13-fight winning streak, in an interim title bout. Poirier and Holloway delivered a Fight of the Year contender, and "The Diamond" took a unanimous decision to snap Holloway's streak to claim interim gold. He thought their time together was done, but it's not. Poirier said he wanted Justin Gaethje for his farewell, or Ilia Topuria, but the UFC threw him a "blindside" with Holloway. He was agreeable, because Holloway fits the bill of a "legend" in the sport, which Poirier wanted as his final opponent. Nevertheless, this is the reality. Poirier will look to make it 3-0 over Holloway, and take his BMF title in the process. There are many opinions on the actual value of the BMF belt, but Poirier isn't one to undercut its significance, especially in a moment like this. "There haven't been many guys (to fight for it)," Poirier said. "Even to get mentioned or have your name in the hat to be pulled for a BMF fight, you've got to be a fan favorite, you've got to bring it every time. You have to be in that criteria of fighters cut from that cloth. That never-say-die cloth. Max is that. I am that. It's amazing. If I can get my hand raised again, retire with the BMF belt – I'm the BMF forever. "If I can get my hand raised and be the last BMF champion and ride off into the sunset and retire, hey, that's forever. I don't think they would ever do it again unless something crazy happened. That would be dope." After a legendary career filled with iconic moments, Poirier will make what he claims is a definitive exit from active competition. He will get one more as the catalyst for the UFC's return to Louisiana for the first time since June 2015, and the significance of it all isn't lost on him in the slightest. "This is the dream," Poirier said. "This is the plan. I'm the one that reached out to the UFC and said I would love to retire at home. And to my surprise, they obliged and said, 'OK, we'll do everything we can to make it happen.' It's amazing when a company works with you like that and has respect for you enough to try to put things in motion because so many things in their schedule is booked up for like the whole year previously. "People don't understand how much goes on behind the scenes. These dates and locations are pre-planned for a long time. For them to scrap something and bring the cage to Louisiana and set it up for me to retire at home. Dude. It's a dream come true."
USA Today
25-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Dustin Poirier's retirement fight set for UFC 318 vs. Max Holloway for BMF title
Dustin Poirier's retirement fight set for UFC 318 vs. Max Holloway for BMF title Dustin Poirier's retirement fight is official, and it will happen in his home state of Louisiana. Beloved former interim UFC lightweight champion Poirier is set to have his last dance in the main event of UFC 318 on July 19 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). He will face Max Holloway in a five-round lightweight bout for the BMF title, marking the third career meeting between the two. Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) announced the date, location and opponent for his retirement fight against Holloway (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC) on Friday during an appearance on the "Pat McAfee Show" from the NFL draft in Green Bay, Wisc. The proud Louisiana native is slated to announce a draft pick for the New Orleans Saints. "The Diamond" initially teased retirement prior to his fifth-round submission loss to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 in June 2024. After discussions with his family, however, Poirier declared he would compete one last time and publicly pushed for the UFC to come back to New Orleans for the first time since June 2015. Poirier, 36, said his only other caveat for his final fight was to be matched up with a "legend," and he will get just that with former longtime featherweight champion Holloway, 33, whom he has defeated twice already. The first showdown between them happened at UFC 143 in February 2012 in the 145-pound division. Then-23-year-old Poirier spoiled the short-notice octagon debut of a then-20-year-old Holloway, who succumbed to a first-round submission. A rematch would align at UFC 236 in April 2019, but under vastly different circumstances. With then-champion Khabib Nurmagomedov unavailable, Poirier was inserted into an interim lightweight title bout against Holloway, who was featherweight champion and riding a 13-fight winning streak. The pair put on a bloody Fight of the Year contender, with Poirier emerging by unanimous decision to snap Holloway's streak and set himself up for a unification bout against Nurmagomedov, where he ultimately fell short. Now Poirier and Holloway will meet again for the third and final time, a total of 4,914 days after the first contest. It marks the longest-spanning trilogy in UFC history. Both men have experienced highs, lows, greatness, disappointment and some of the biggest moments to happen in the octagon since the memorable rematch more than six years ago. There will be no shortage of stakes again, with Poirier looking to end his career on an unfathomably rare high as BMF champion, while Holloway looks to begin his fresh start at lightweight after losing to Ilia Topuria in October, as well as avoid falling 0-3 in another trilogy, as he did against Alexander Volkanovski.
