Max Holloway Defeats Dustin Poirier in UFC 318's Main Event

In a thrilling showdown at UFC 318 held at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Max Holloway emerged victorious against Dustin Poirier, successfully defending his UFC BMF Championship title. The fight, which served as Poirier's retirement match, ended with a unanimous decision in favor of Holloway.

This victory marked Holloway's first win in three encounters against Poirier, who had previously triumphed in their bouts in 2012 and 2019. Holloway showcased his striking prowess throughout the match, landing a total of 201 strikes compared to Poirier's 109, achieving an impressive 53% accuracy rate with significant strikes.

Despite the crowd's support for Poirier, a native of Louisiana, Holloway displayed speed and agility, knocking Poirier down early in the first round. In the second round, he continued to dominate, sending Poirier to the canvas again with a series of effective combinations, followed by two minutes of controlling grappling.

Poirier's most significant moment came in the final 30 seconds of the second round when he managed to take Holloway to the ground and attempted a chokehold, delivering several strikes before the round concluded.

This loss concludes Poirier's distinguished career, leaving him with a final record of 30 wins and 10 losses. He was known for his notable victories, including two wins over Conor McGregor and triumphs against fighters like Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler.

After the fight, Poirier reflected on the match, expressing that he believed it was closer than the judges' decision indicated. He mentioned that he felt he had Holloway in a vulnerable position during the second round but acknowledged that he had fought strategically without taking excessive risks.

In the co-main event, Paulo Costa ended a three-fight losing streak, defeating Roman Kopylov via unanimous decision in the middleweight division. Additionally, Daniel Rodriguez claimed a victory over Kevin Holland in a welterweight match, overcoming odds as an underdog with a +425 betting line. In the featherweight division, Patricio Freire secured a win against Dan Ige by unanimous decision, dominating the fight with five successful takedowns.

The evening kicked off with an unexpected victory as Michael Johnson defeated Daniel Zellhuber, marking his third consecutive win. Johnson entered the fight as a +475 underdog, landing more strikes than his opponent.