Dana White: UFC 318 Was Built For Big Star Dustin Poirier's Retirement

MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 09: Dustin Poirier reacts after defeating Benoit Saint Denis of France in ... More their lightweight bout at UFC 299 at Kaseya Center on March 09, 2024 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by)
The UFC has not held a fight card in New Orleans since June 2015. That drought of 10-plus years without a UFC event in the Crescent City ends on July 19, 2025, when the promotion visits the Smoothie King Center for the UFC 318 fight card. According to UFC CEO Dana White, the UFC designed the pay-per-view card in New Orleans around one man, Dustin Poirier, for his retirement fight. Poirier faces Max Holloway in a trilogy bout in the UFC 318 main event.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 08: UFC CEO Dana White holds a press conference after the UFC 313 event at ... More T-Mobile Arena on March 08, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
'Throughout the world, Dustin Poirier is a big star for us,' White told WDSU in Louisiana. 'He's accomplished a lot in the sport. This is for him, to be honest with you. This is for him. He wanted to have his last fight and end his career in New Orleans so here we are.'
As with most UFC pay-per-view events, UFC 318 will have a belt on the line in the main event. That title, the symbolic BMF championship, is held by Holloway. Poirier, who hails from Lafayette, Louisiana, battled Justin Gaethje for the BMF strap in July 2023, losing by knockout in the second round.
'Actually, he's ranked No. 5 in the world right now in the lightweight division,' White said about Poirier. 'He's a guy who's held his position in the top 10 in the sport for a very long time. He's achieved a lot.
'He's one of the all-time greats. Thousands of people have fought in the UFC, I don't know where I could rank him but he's one of the all-time greats.'
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 13: (R-L) Dustin Poirier punches Max Holloway in their interim lightweight ... More championship bout during the UFC 236 event at State Farm Arena on April 13, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Dustin Poirier (30-9-0-1) has been a UFC fighter since 2011. At the time he had a 7-1 record. Between 2011 and 2018, Poirier went 16-4-0-1, picking up notable wins over Max Holloway, Bobby Green, Jim Miller, Anthony Pettis, Justin Gaethje, and Eddie Alvarez. His losses during that stretch came to The Korean Zombie, Cub Swanson, Conor McGregor, and Michael Johnson.
Poirier's wins over Miller, Pettis, Gaethje, and Alvarez set him up to fight for the interim UFC lightweight title against then-UFC featherweight titleholder Max Holloway. Poirier was the No. 3 ranked fighter in the UFC 155-pound division at the time, April 2019. Poirier claimed the interim crown with a decision win.
In September 2019, Poirier faced Khabib Nurmagomedov in a title unification bout. Nurmagomedov won that contest by third-round submission.
Three wins after that, including two TKO victories over Conor McGregor, put Poirier in another lightweight title fight. He lost that battle to Charles Oliveira, falling to a rear-naked choke in the third round of their December 2021 matchup.
The 36-year-old Poirier is 2-2 since that setback with wins over Michael Chandler and Benoit Saint Denis. Poirier's losses during that run came against Justin Gaethje for the BMF title and, most recently, opposite Islam Makhachev for the UFC lightweight title at UFC 302 in June 2024.
Poirier has 15 fight-night bonus awards, which ties him for fourth all-time in that category. Poirier is the No. 5 ranked UFC lightweight.
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 13: (R-L) Max Holloway punches Dustin Poirier in their interim lightweight ... More championship bout during the UFC 236 event at State Farm Arena on April 13, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Max Holloway (26-8) has been with the UFC since 2012. If there's a stat that the UFC tracks, chances are Holloway is among the leaders. He holds the UFC featherweight record for wins (20), finishes (11), knockouts (nine), win streak (13 straight), total fight time (6:58:57), significant strikes landed (2,971), and total strikes landed (3,180). Holloway's overall UFC records include significant strikes landed (3,457) and total strikes landed (3,706).
Holloway's run as UFC featherweight champ began in June 2017 when he knocked out Jose Aldo. Holloway entered that contest as the interim champ, a belt he won by knocking out Anthony Pettis in December 2016. He defended his title against Aldo (TKO), Brian Ortega (TKO), and Frankie Edgar (decision). He also attempted to win the interim UFC lightweight belt during that run, but he fell short, dropping a decision to Dustin Poirier.
Holloway's championship run ended in December 2019 when Alexander Volkanovski beat him by decision. Volkanovski retained the title in an immediate rematch.
Wins over Calvin Kattar and Yair Rodriguez earned Holloway another shot at Volkanovski and his title in July 2022, but the champ retained his belt with a decision win.
Holloway followed that setback with wins over Arnold Allen, the Korean Zombie, and Justin Gaethje. The Gaethje victory, a fight that many voted 'Fight of the Year' and 'Knockout of the Year,' earned Holloway the BMF title. That fight took place at 155 pounds.
Holloway followed his BMF title win with the first knockout loss of his career, falling to Ilia Topuria in a UFC featherweight title fight in October 2024.
Holloway is the No. 1 fighter in the official UFC featherweight rankings. He is also ranked at No. 12 at 155 pounds and sits at No. 12 in the pound-for-pound rankings.
LAS VEGAS, NV - FEBRUARY 04: Dustin Poirier (blue shorts) attempts to submit Max Holloway during ... More the UFC 143 event at Mandalay Bay Events Center on February 4, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Poirier is 2-0 against Holloway. They first met in a featherweight scrap at UFC 143 in February 2012. The bout was Holloway's fifth pro fight and first as a member of the UFC. He was 4-0 heading into the contest. Meanwhile, Poirier had been with the WEC/UFC for two years by then with a 11-1 pro record. Poirier won that fight, and earned Submission of the Night, for his first-round triangle armbar stoppage.
The two faced off for the second time in April 2019 at UFC 236. That matchup was for the interim UFC lightweight title. Poirier won that 'Fight of the Night' bonus-winning scrap. Poirier failed to unify the title, losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov by submission at UFC 242 in September 2019.
Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier Lightweight for Holloway's BMF Title
Marvin Vettori vs. Brendan Allen - Middleweight
Amanda Ribas vs. Tabatha Ricci - Strawweight
Neil Magny vs. Gunnar Nelson - Welterweight
Kyler Phillips vs. Vinicius Oliveira - Bantamweight
Adam Fugitt vs. Islam Dulatov - Welterweight
Jimmy Crute vs. Marcin Prachnio - Light Heavyweight
Ikram Aliskerov vs. Brunno Ferreira - Middleweight
Carli Judice vs. Nicolle Caliari - Women's Flyweight
Saturday, July 19
Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA
Main Card: 10:00 p.m. ET
Preliminary Card: 8:00 p.m. ET
Early Prelims: 6:00 p.m. ET
The lowest price non re-sale seats for UFC 318 are listed on TicketMaster at $458.55 for upper bowl seats. The highest price ticket is a third row seat for $4381.25.
The above prices include all fees and taxes.
We will have more on the UFC 318 fight card as fight night nears.

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