Athletes
Max Holloway: 'It’s All About Moments'
BMF Champion Max Holloway Is Happy To Spoil The Party At UFC 318: Holloway vs Poirier 3 And Hopes To Set Himself Up Well In The Lightweight Title Picture With A Win
Yes, the main reason the Octagon is returning to Louisiana for the first time in more than a decade is because Dustin Poirier asked for it. And yes, a lot of the attention ahead of the July 19 fight night is pointed toward “The Diamond” making the walk for one last time.
But don’t get it twisted: Max Holloway has plenty left on his to-do list, and in New Orleans, “Blessed” is the man making the final walk of the night as he attempts to defend the BMF belt for the first time. In a career full of iconic performances, Holloway is seeking another as he looks to add even more to his already decorated list of accomplishments.
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“Y'all must have forgot,” Holloway told UFC.com. “I just have to remind people. A lot of people keep putting me in the Dustin talks being like, ‘Retired this. Retire that.’ I'm like, ‘Brother, nah. Don't push on me.’ I'm still here. I'm still competing.”
Although Holloway’s most recent outing ended in defeat to Ilia Topuria—a result which included suffering the first knockdown and knockout of his lengthy career—he makes his return to the lightweight division with an argument for momentum.
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The last time Holloway competed at 155 pounds, he delivered the Knockout of the Year at UFC 300 as he slept Justin Gaethje with a second to go to wrest the BMF title away from “The Highlight.” It was a highlight for the ages and one that left many slack jawed.
Holloway had his pick of opportunities afterward, and he attempted to regain the featherweight title. The loss hurt, of course, but it didn’t close the door on his career nor did Topuria’s own ascension to lightweight gold at UFC 317. Ever the optimist, Holloway sees that development as another opportunity.
Max Holloway Knocks Out Justin Gaethje, Wins BMF Belt | UFC 300
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Max Holloway Knocks Out Justin Gaethje, Wins BMF Belt | UFC 300
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“There's a lot of fun fights (at lightweight),” he said. “There's a new undisputed champion that we have some history with. There's a bunch of guys I have a history with here in the top five. Life's good at ‘55. I can't wait.”
He’s not getting ahead of himself, though. First comes the task of Poirier, a man who bested him twice. First was in his UFC debut when Holloway stepped in for Ricardo Lamas as a fresh-faced 20-year-old. The next loss came seven years later when the two locked horns for an epic interim lightweight title fight at UFC 236. The back-and-forth affair was granted Fight of the Night honors, but the judges scored the fight in Poirier’s favor, and Holloway went back to the drawing board.
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While the results are fair, they don’t come without some justifiable caveats. Neither man was even close to a finished product in the first bout. In the rematch, the physical difference between Poirier, who had spent the last several years in the lightweight division, and Holloway, who remained at 145 pounds, was stark. Holloway accepted that fight with about two months to prepare, objectively not enough time to reshape one’s body for the monsters in the lightweight division like Poirier, who often walks around and enters the Octagon a lot bigger than what he tips the scales at on Friday mornings before the fight.
Holloway reformed himself physically ahead of his bout with Gaethje, something visually evident at UFC 300. So, as Poirier prepares to bid the sport farewell, Holloway is prepared for a man he knows well, which means he knows the Louisiana native wants to say his goodbyes as explosively and emphatically as possible.
Order UFC 318: Holloway vs Poirier 3
“Dustin is one of these guys that when he gets into fights, (it’s like) getting into a car wreck,” Holloway said. “That's what I'm looking forward to. That's what I know I signed up for.
“I'm looking forward to a scary Dustin Poirier, and we can go out there and do my thing.”
Max Holloway Relives His Iconic BMF Moments
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Max Holloway Relives His Iconic BMF Moments
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Nearly 14 years into his tenure with the UFC, the Waianae-bred former champion understands the ins and outs of the fight game. He knows wins are important, but how a fighter obtains those victories matters just as much, if not more.
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Against Poirier, he’s happy to play the spoiler, and if he does so the way he hopes, fans are in for a spectacular main event.
“People get mad, but UFC is in the entertainment business,” he said. “Yeah, we're fighters, but it's entertainment, and it's all about moments. If I have my moment, who's to say that I'm not right back out right there (in the title picture). I had my moment at (UFC) 300. (If) I have a moment here, the sky's the limit—the undisputed title or one (win) away. Whoever it is, whatever we do, you just gotta make moments here, make history. That's what I plan on doing.”
UFC 318: Holloway vs Poirier 3 took place live from Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana on July 19, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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