Holloway was not intimidated, however, as he stood up to Poirier in front of the hostile crowd. "Blessed" will need to overcome that element at UFC 318 in addition to trying to avenge a submission loss to Poirier at UFC 143 in February 2012 and a unanimous decision defeat in the rematch at UFC 236 in April 2019.

Ahead of the UFC fight in New Orleans, Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway squared off in an adrenaline-filled Smoothie King Center, exchanging subtle smirks before they meet in the cage.

Israel Adesanya thinks Dustin Poirier's legacy shouldn't be discredited for never winning an undisputed UFC title.

Dustin Poirier will receive a hero's welcome in his native Louisiana at UFC 318 when he battles Max Holloway for a third time in their careers. It's a respect Poirier earned from his peers and the promotion that they would take a PPV event to New Orleans for the first time in 25 years as a proper send off to one of the good guys in the sport's history.

To be sure, Poirier (30-9) has had a decorated career. The former Interim UFC lightweight champion owns 15 wins by knockout and eight by submission, with 13 first-round finishes. “The Diamond” holds wins against Conor McGregor twice, and his two most recent victories are against Benoit Saint Denis and Michael Chandler.

Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) returns to the cage in a retirement bout this Saturday in the main event of UFC 318 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+ ), which takes place at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. He takes on former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC) in a trilogy bout.

UFC President Dana White joins Colin Cowherd to preview UFC 318’s main event between Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway. He also shares his role in promoting the Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford super fight and what fans can expect from the boxing event of the year.