Max Holloway is preparing for his third encounter with Dustin Poirier at UFC 318, set to main event the July 19 card in Poirier`s hometown of New Orleans. As the former featherweight king and current “BMF” titleholder, Holloway is not arriving with the intention of simply being a backdrop for Poirier`s potential final career win.
Poirier holds a 2-0 advantage over Holloway from their previous bouts, including a memorable interim lightweight title victory at UFC 236. Holloway acknowledges the speculation around this potentially being Poirier`s retirement fight but suggests that fans hoping for a celebratory ending might be disappointed.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Holloway addressed the situation: “I have the opportunity to be his retirement fight… I know he’s trying to ride off into the sunset… but it might be a little sad because I want to go out there and get my hand raised.”
Following his first professional knockout loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 308 in October, “Blessed” has decided to make a permanent move up to the lightweight division. With Topuria and Charles Oliveira, two opponents he has previously faced, set to contest the vacant lightweight title at UFC 317 shortly before his fight, Holloway sees a win over Poirier as a potential path to challenging the winner.
Holloway expressed his enduring ambition in the sport. “The message that I’m trying to send is that I’m still here,” he stated. He pointed out that Poirier`s last fight was for a title and emphasized his own aspirations for championship gold. He believes a dominant performance against Poirier could realistically position him for an undisputed lightweight title shot by the end of the year.
Despite looking ahead, Holloway maintains his focus is entirely on the task at hand. “First thing’s first: Dustin Poirier. I’m not overlooking him,” he affirmed, recognizing the gravity of the fight for Poirier and the lingering questions about their 2-0 record. Holloway is determined to provide a compelling answer to “why” this fight is happening and demonstrate its significance to the fans. His clear goal is to “spoil his plans and get my hand raised” as he continues his journey towards an undisputed title after Poirier potentially steps away.
