On July 19, former interim UFC lightweight champion Dustin Poirier will step into the octagon for the final time at UFC 318, hosted at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Poirier, nicknamed "The Diamond," will face former featherweight champion and BMF titleholder Max Holloway in a highly anticipated trilogy matchup.
Poirier and Holloway first clashed at UFC 143 in February 2012 during Holloway's octagon debut, where Poirier secured a victory with a first-round submission. Their paths crossed again at UFC 236 in April 2019, this time for the interim lightweight title, in a fight that Poirier won by unanimous decision. Now, as Poirier prepares for his retirement bout, the trilogy against Holloway not only holds personal significance but also features the BMF belt at stake.
Interestingly, Poirier initially had his sights set on different opponents. "Holloway wasn't even a name I mentioned to them before discussions began about this fight," Poirier revealed on The Ariel Helwani Show. He had suggested fighters like Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje to the UFC. "I thought me and Gaethje would close the trilogy, maybe," he stated, expressing a preference for a rematch against Gaethje, especially considering their shared history.
However, Poirier acknowledged that circumstances played a role in shaping this matchup. With Gaethje already matched against Dan Hooker when discussions first began, that option was unavailable. Poirier mentioned that he would have preferred to compete against Gaethje in New Orleans, but he sees the value in closing the chapter against Holloway.
Despite his desire to fight Gaethje, Poirier understands the significance of this final matchup with Holloway. "Anytime me and this guy fight, it's going to be a head-on collision. Somebody is getting hurt, or both of us are getting hurt," he cautioned. "But thinking about what he said, like, 'our families don't deserve this,' has resonated with me. It's tough to step into the octagon every time."
As Poirier approaches the end of an illustrious career, he recognizes that while the Holloway fight is meaningful, the possibility of fighting Gaethje also carries weight. Fans can look forward to an exciting showdown at UFC 318, where Poirier will leave it all in the octagon one last time.
