UFC 318 Results are in: Max Holloway defeats Dustin Poirier by unanimous decision in emotional trilogy finale. Dive into fight stats, Poirier’s farewell, undercard results, and what’s next.
🥊 Holloway vs Poirier Context
- Event: UFC 318: Holloway vs Poirier 3 took place July 19, 2025 at Smoothie King Center, New Orleans .
- Main Event: Trilogy clash — Holloway vs. Poirier — with Holloway’s BMF title and Poirier’s final fight on the line.
⚔️ Holloway vs Poirier – Main Event
- Result: Max Holloway won via unanimous decision (49‑47, 49‑47, 48‑47) .
- Fight Dynamics:
- Early Dominance: Holloway floored Poirier in Round 1 and again in Round 2 .
- Poirier’s Response: He nearly secured a guillotine choke and dropped Holloway later in Round 2.
- Final Rounds: Both fighters exchanged heavy strikes; Holloway maintained higher output (~201 vs 109 strikes, 53% accuracy) .
- Highlights: Emotional final 15 seconds saw a mutual slugfest before the final bell .
🥲 Poirier’s Farewell
- Retirement Moment: After the verdict, Poirier placed his gloves in the Octagon, embraced loved ones, and officially retired as the crowd roared.
- Legacy Tribute: UFC notables like Islam Makhachev and Jon Jones paid tribute, calling him “one of the greats” .
📋 UFC 318 Results Judges
- Two judges scored 49‑47, one 48‑47 in Holloway’s favor.
- Poirier felt the official scorecards underrate his performance and that Round 2 was closer than depicted .
- Dana White echoed that view, stating the fight “felt much closer” than the scores reflect .
📈 Significant Stats
| Fighter | Significant Strikes | Accuracy | Knockdowns | Fight Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Holloway | ~201 | 53% | 2 | 5 rounds |
| Dustin Poirier | ~109 | — | 1 | Final fight |
#UFC318 Official Scorecard: Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) vs Dustin Poirier
Complete Scorecards ➡️ https://t.co/GQLoLaheww pic.twitter.com/VYKoPrFkNB
— UFC News (@UFCNews) July 20, 2025
🥇 Undercard Highlights
- Paulo Costa def. Roman Kopylov – unanimous decision
- Daniel Rodriguez def. Kevin Holland
- Patricio “Pitbull” Freire def. Dan Ige
- Michael Johnson def. Daniel Zellhuber
Bonus round: Brendan Allen vs Marvin Vettori earned Fight of the Night .
🏆 What This Means
- Holloway: Secured his first win over Poirier in the trilogy; retains BMF belt; potential future lightweight title contention .
- Poirier: Retires with a 30–10 record, tie for 22 UFC wins (third all-time), and legacy solidified .
💬 Quotes & Reactions
- Poirier:
“I feel appreciated… I feel seen… I didn’t know I touched as many people.”.
- Dana White:
“The fight felt much closer… two judges had it 4‑1, surprising us all.” .
- MMA Community:
“One of the greatest fighters… an end of a remarkable era.”.
📺 How to Watch Results
- Broadcast: ESPN, ESPN+, UFC.com for highlights .
- Streaming: ESPN+ PPV event (UFC 318).
- Clips and post-fight analysis available on UFC Nexus and media outlets.