Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway Trilogy Fight Announced
BMF Title Fight Set For New Orleans
Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier are set to clash for a third time on July 19, headlining UFC 318 in New Orleans. The event will take place at the Smoothie King Center in Poirier’s home state of Louisiana and will feature the BMF title on the line.
The matchup is expected to mark the final chapter of Poirier’s storied MMA career. Following his recent submission loss to UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8, 1 NC UFC) shared that his next fight would be his last inside the Octagon.
In the lead-up to the announcement, fans speculated heavily about who would serve as Poirier’s farewell opponent. Although “The Diamond” had hoped for a trilogy bout with Justin Gaethje or a clash with rising star Ilia Topuria, the promotion opted to pair him with longtime rival Max Holloway instead.
“I was asking Hunter [Campbell] for Gaethje,” Poirier told MMA Junkie. “We’re 1-1, and I wanted to close out that trilogy. For some reason, they really wanted this fight. That’s cool because I respect Max for my last fight.”
“When Ilia said he was going to 155, I texted the UFC and said, ‘Hey, let me know what’s going on with this guy.’ But they never entertained it. They told me it’s not happening and they wanted Max.”
Former featherweight champion Max Holloway (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC) is making his return to the lightweight division after an unsuccessful attempt to recapture the 145-pound title last October. In that bout, Holloway was knocked out by Ilia Topuria in what was a tough setback for the Hawaiian.
Despite that loss, Holloway reminded everyone of his elite skills just months earlier at UFC 300, where he put on a masterclass against Justin Gaethje. Dominating throughout the fight, Holloway sealed the win with an unforgettable knockout in the final moments—one of the most iconic finishes in UFC history.
The upcoming fight will be the third meeting between Holloway and Poirier. Their first encounter came in 2012, during Holloway’s UFC debut, when Poirier submitted him in the opening round—still the only submission loss on Holloway’s record.
They ran it back in 2019 at UFC 236, with Holloway moving up from featherweight to challenge Poirier at 155 pounds. That night, Poirier earned a hard-fought unanimous decision after five competitive rounds.
Paul Browne is a professional mixed martial arts commentator, feature writer and podcaster based in Dublin, Ireland.
