Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway went to war once again for the BMF Championship. For the first time, Holloway beat Poirier via unanimous decision in the latter's retirement fight.
From the sound of the first bell to standing in the center of the octagon and battling it out until the end, both fighters, especially Poirier, proved to be the epitome of a BMF.
"I feel appreciated, I feel seen. This week has been incredible. I feel loved by the fans, Louisiana, and the company. I never realized I touched as many people as I did just by chasing my dreams," Poirier said after the fight.
Poirier (30-10, 1 NC) used jabs to hurt Holloway at various times. However, as he has done in the past, volume helped Holloway secure the win. He used leg kicks and shots on the inside to damage the body and face of Poirier.
At one point, it wasn't clear what type of fight this would be. Then, round two showcased the best combat sports has to offer.
Both chased the other down in the round, landing combinations. A right hand and a knee from Poirier hurt Holloway. The Hawaiian landed a right and a beautiful three-piece combination that rocked Poirier. The fight went to the floor, and then once back up, Poirier forced a knockdown and almost landed a guillotine choke.
CAN'T EVEN HEAR THE HORN IN HERE 🗣️
— UFC (@ufc) July 20, 2025
We have a SCRAP!
[ #UFC318 ] pic.twitter.com/KDYUb8lAhm
Round three saw Holloway attempt to adapt and land kicks. Poirier looked like the better fighter and landed multiple jabs, which would damage the face of Holloway even in round four. Holloway still fought back with volume shots. On the inside, Holloway landed uppercuts to a tired Poirier. Body kicks and hooks to the face hurt "The Diamond".
The last round had the crowd on their feet. Poirier landed combinations that wowed them. However, body shots from Holloway were too much to handle. He continued to land for volume, and did so as he did his signature point to the center of the octagon. For one final time, Poirier went all out against a game Holloway.
MORE: Dustin 'The Diamond' Poirier career retrospective
Holloway landed 113 significant strikes, with 46 to the body. Poirier landed 99 strikes, with most of those to Holloway's legs.
Poirier ends his career on a two-fight losing streak. The former interim champion went out a warrior, and will forever be marked as a legend in the sport. Holloway is now 2-1 in his last three fights.
Laying the gloves down 🫡
— UFC (@ufc) July 20, 2025
[ #UFC318 | @DustinPoirier ] pic.twitter.com/mscA3UwgQk
Paulo Costa, a former title contender, turned back the clock and looked as dangerous as ever at age 34. Costa beat Roman Kopylo via decision to earn his first win since 2022.
On a night with wild results to start, Kevin Holland and Daniel Rodriguez competed in a Fight of the Year contender. Both got dropped at various points and landed vicious shots through three rounds. Rodriguez landed 77 significant strikes to earn the win, while Holland landed 82.
MORE: Amanda Nunes clears first hurdle on way to fighting again
Holland is now 2-2 in his last four fights, while Rodriguez stormed back and is now on a three-fight win streak.
Many were already dismissing Patricio Freire after his lackluster UFC debut. However, the former Bellator champion rebounded in a big way at UFC 318, beating Dan Ige. "Pitbull" landed multiple takedowns and looked like his vintage, aggressive self.
Freire is now 2-1 in his last three fights, while Ige is 1-3 in his last four. What's next for the Brazilian?
Days before fight night, Michael Johnson was a massive underdog. He proved everyone wrong, bringing it to Daniel Zellhuber and earning a unanimous decision win. Johnson has now won three straight, while Zellhuber has lost his last two.
The Sporting News provided results from the entire UFC 318 fight card.
UFC 318 full card results
Main Card
- Max Holloway (c) def. Dustin Poirier via unanimous decision for the BMF Title (48-47, 49-46, 49-46)
- Paulo Costa def. Roman Kopylov via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Daniel Rodriguez def. Kevin Holland via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Patricio "Pitbull" Freire def. Dan Ige via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28)
- Michael Johnson def. Daniel Zellhuber via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28)
Prelims
- Vinicius Oliveira def. Kyler Phillips via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Brendan Allen def. Marvin Vettori via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Nikolay Veretennikov def. Francisco Prado via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
- Ateba Abega Gautier def. Robert Valentin via TKO (1:10 into round one)
Early Prelims
- Islam Dulatov def. Adam Fugitt via KO (4:06 into round one)
- Jimmy Crute def. Marcin Prachnio via armbar (4:42 into round one)
- Ryan Spann def. Lukasz Brzeski via guillotine choke (2:47 into round one)
- Brunno Ferreira def. Jackson McVey via armbar (3:35 into round one)
- Carli Judice def. Nicolle Caliari via TKO (1:30 into round three)