Max Holloway First to Successfully Defend BMF Belt in Dustin Poirier’s Retirement Fight

Dustin Poirier made the walk to the octagon for the final time at UFC 318, challenging Max Holloway for the UFC’s “BMF” belt at home in Louisiana.

Poirier’s final fight, set in New Orleans, was the rare case of a fighter having an entire card built around his retirement fight. And having two existing wins over Holloway, one at featherweight and one at lightweight, it was a chance to go out on top for “The Diamond,” or as close to the top as he could get short of the undisputed lightweight crown.

Poirier opened the action landing a left hand, while Holloway moved outside. Holloway connected with his right, but not clean. Then came a leg kick by Poirier; along with it, a huge rallying cry for Dustin Poirier. It was Max Holloway, however, who responded, dropping Poirier! Holloway followed up, hurting “The Diamond,” though he was unanle to finish then and there. Instead, Poirier rallied, landing an uppercut, then a leg kick. Holloway fired a spinning back kick, but was in too close. The same problem plagued a second attempt. Holloway still found openings as he popped off a combination a moment later however. Poirier ripped a leg kick inside; Holloway fired another combo upstairs.

Round two saw Holloway dart in, fire a number of punches, and exit. Poirier was clearly a step slower, and had a little less volume when he did attack. Holloway fired to the body, but a right hand connected for Poirier. Holloway answered with a body kick, shutting down any hope of a Poirier follow-up. Then near the midway mark, Holloway rocked Poirier again! He went on the attack, and they went down, Max getting on top and landing blow after blow. Poirier survived, but still had the BMF champ on top. Eventually Poirier was able to buck Holloway off, threatening with upkicks. Dustin then marched forward, and targeted the body while working his jab. Before the round was up, Poirier then took control, dropping Holloway! Poirier jumped on a guillotine, hoping to secure a buzzer-beater submission, but it wasn’t to be.

Round three felt like more of a recovery round early. Both men had been hurt in an exhausting round two, and appeared to have slowed a step, or at least taken their foot off the gas. Holloway worked outside, Poirier trying to attack at angles. In the back half of the round, Holloway began coming on, connecting several times upstairs with a combination that forced Dustin Poirier to back up to the fence. The final minute saw Dustin endure a grazing eye poke, but he chose not the take any time, ready to fight on. A hot finish to the round saw Poirier coming on, and a bit of friendly jawing between the two.

The championship rounds of the UFC’s latest BMF title fight saw Poirier trying to ride the momentum he’d found in the second and again, to a lesser extent, late in the third. Holloway was mobile, circling outside; the pair exchanged low kicks. Holloway would land, Poirier answered back, and business started to pick up. In the final two minutes, both men had their moments, with Poirier starting to look a little drained. Still, after a Holloway combo, Dustin was able to connect with a left hand. A spinning back kick connected for Max towards the end of the round, with Poirier getting one last shot in by the horn.

The fifth and final round saw Poirier pressing, and Max Holloway answering back with more bodywork. His output continued to outpace Poirier, but Poirier’s shots had more behind them. Holloway was the busier fighter throughout the round; in the final 90 seconds or so, action was paused after Poirier suffered another eye poke. That didn’t stop things for long, but it was Holloway coming back hard with a body kick. Then Poirier fired off a big left hand! The final minute had the crowd roaring, and the final ten seconds — vintage Max Holloway. He held up his palm, halting Poirier in his tracks, and the moment the 10 second clapper sounded, “Blessed” pointed to center, and the pair unloaded. Holloway landed more in that final firefight, the perfect visual to finish one an intense fight.

Holloway kept his speech short after the win, ceding the mic to Poirier for one last time. As for Dustin Poirier, “I feel appreciated, I feel seen. I never got to step outside of fighting and look at it this way,” he stated, calling it an incredible week and thanking both the fans and the UFC. “I’m forever grateful. I love you all. I’m a kid living his dream out here, throwing punches, throwing knees.”

Official Result: Max Holloway def. Dustin Poirier by unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46)