Dustin Poirier has finally confirmed his opponent for what is planned to be his last fight in the UFC.
The former Interim Lightweight Champion has openly discussed retiring from mixed martial arts for several years, stating that his 41st professional fight will be his final one.
Poirier`s decision to consider retirement became more prominent following his third unsuccessful attempt at capturing the undisputed title, a hard-fought submission loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 last summer.
Widely regarded as one of the UFC`s most popular fighters due to his tenacious style and resilience, Poirier, a native of Lafayette, requested the promotion arrange a “legends only” fight in his home state of Louisiana for his farewell appearance in the Octagon.
After patiently waiting for many months, Poirier`s request has been granted.
Dustin Poirier vs Max Holloway Trilogy Booked for UFC 318 in New Orleans
More than a year removed from his title challenge against Makhachev, Poirier is officially scheduled to make his return against a familiar opponent, former UFC Featherweight Champion Max Holloway. The fight will take place in the lightweight division.
However, this is not a standard lightweight bout, as Max Holloway`s BMF title will be on the line. The fight is set to headline UFC 318 on July 19th.
UFC 318 is scheduled to be held at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, marking the UFC`s first event in the city since 2015.
Poirier and Holloway have previously fought twice, with Poirier emerging victorious in both encounters. “The Diamond” defeated a then 20-year-old Holloway in Holloway`s UFC debut at UFC 143 in 2012, securing a win via triangle armbar submission.
Holloway presented a much tougher challenge in their second meeting, a short-notice rematch for the interim lightweight title at UFC 236 in 2019, when Holloway was the reigning featherweight champion. Despite Holloway`s improved performance, Poirier largely controlled the five-round contest, bloodying his opponent en route to winning the interim title by unanimous decision.
Holloway holds a 1-3 record in his last four fights. His most recent bout was a featherweight title fight against Ilia Topuria at UFC 308 in October, where Holloway suffered his first career knockout loss in 34 professional fights.
Meanwhile, Poirier has traded wins and losses against elite competition in recent years. His last victory was a knockout win over Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 299 in March 2024.
Poirier Wanted Gaethje or Topuria Before Holloway Fight Was Set
Before finalizing the agreement for UFC 318, Poirier revealed he discussed other potential opponents for his retirement fight with UFC officials, including his rival in the lightweight division, Justin Gaethje.
Speaking to MMA Junkie about his conversation with UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell, Poirier stated:
I was asking Hunter [Campbell] for Gaethje.
Poirier explained his reasoning:
Because we’re 1-1 I wanted to close out that trilogy.
He added that the promotion strongly desired the fight against Max Holloway, a matchup he accepted partly out of respect for his opponent.
For some reason they really wanted this fight. That’s cool because I respect [Max] for my last fight.
Gaethje and Poirier each have a knockout victory over the other. Poirier won their first fight by TKO in 2018, while Gaethje avenged that loss by knocking Poirier out with a head kick in their rematch for the BMF title in 2023.
However, Justin Gaethje wasn`t the only fighter on Poirier`s preferred list of opponents.
The 36-year-old fighter also mentioned in his conversation with MMA Junkie:
When [Ilia Topuria] 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.
Ilia Topuria has since vacated his featherweight title and is targeting a move to lightweight, insisting he would only fight for the divisional championship. This seems to be the case, as Topuria has reportedly begun training camp for what is widely believed to be his next fight against current lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
Rupert Hartwell