Dustin Poirier`s final appearance in the Octagon at UFC 318 will include a familiar opponent from his past on the fight card.
Poirier is set to conclude his professional fighting career against Max Holloway, completing their trilogy in the main event of the pay-per-view on July 19th.
After initially contemplating retirement following his third failed attempt to capture the undisputed lightweight championship and his subsequent submission loss to Islam Makhachev, `The Diamond` confirmed that he would indeed have one final farewell fight.
Poirier`s wish to have his last fight near his home has been granted, with the Louisiana native scheduled to headline the event at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
However, his main event opponent, Max Holloway, won`t be the only fighter on the card whom the fan favorite has faced before.
Michael Johnson vs. Daniel Zellhuber Added to UFC 318 Undercard
With UFC 318 and the conclusion of Poirier`s significant tenure as an MMA fighter rapidly approaching, the complete fight lineup is starting to finalize.
Veteran fighter Michael Johnson, who has competed in 42 professional bouts, is among the names joining other notable fighters like Marvin Vettori, Neil Magny, Ikram Aliskerov, and Amanda Ribas on the card.
Throughout his 17-year career, the 38-year-old lightweight has shared the cage with numerous prominent fighters, including Poirier, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Justin Gaethje, Josh Emmett, Nate Diaz, and Edson Barboza.
Johnson is scheduled to face rising prospect Daniel Zellhuber, representing different career stages for both athletes.
Johnson enters the upcoming bout having secured two consecutive victories. His most recent win was a signature knockout against Ottman Azaitar in December 2024.
Remembering Johnson`s Stunning 95-Second Knockout of Poirier
The scheduling of Johnson on Poirier`s retirement card brings back memories of one of Johnson`s most impressive career victories.
`The Menace` headlined a UFC event for the first time in September 2016, facing Poirier. This fight marked Johnson`s return after losing a “Fight of the Night” contest against Nate Diaz 10 months earlier.
The main event in Hidalgo, Texas, concluded quickly. Johnson knocked out Poirier in just 95 seconds (under two minutes), earning a “Performance of the Night” bonus and his second consecutive post-fight bonus.
This result capped off a brief but somewhat heated rivalry. Johnson had felt Poirier was disrespectful towards his skills during the lead-up to their fight.
Rupert Hartwell 
Benedict Kingsley