Dustin Poirier says he wasn’t willing to gamble everything in the closing seconds of his fight with Max Holloway.
Poirier officially brought the curtain down on his legendary career this past Saturday, headlining UFC 318 in front of a hometown crowd in New Orleans, Louisiana, in a highly anticipated trilogy bout against reigning BMF champion Max Holloway.
"The Diamond" delivered another instant classic, going toe-to-toe with Holloway in a five-round battle where both men scored knockdowns. But it was “Blessed” who looked sharper overall, dictating the action with his trademark pace and relentless pressure to take control of the fight.
Although the former interim lightweight champion found pockets of success, Poirier couldn’t quite shift the momentum in his favor. Holloway spoiled his farewell by halting the trilogy sweep, earning the nod on all three scorecards in a hard-fought war.
In the final moments, Max Holloway flashed his signature point-down gesture, inviting a wild brawl in the center of the Octagon. Dustin Poirier obliged, but after absorbing a couple of heavy shots, he wisely switched gears and closed the distance with a clinch. The two veterans remained tied up until the final bell.
Dustin Poirier Felt Max Holloway’s Power And Chose To Clinch In UFC 318’s Final Exchange
At the UFC 318 post-fight press conference, Dustin Poirier shed light on the dramatic closing seconds of his farewell bout against Max Holloway. When “Blessed” signaled for a final firefight, Poirier was game at first. But after absorbing a few stinging shots, “The Diamond” opted for caution over chaos, initiating a clinch to ride out the final seconds and avoid a potentially dangerous exchange.
I wanted to do it [the point-down scrap], you know,” Dustin Poirier said. "That's why I looked up at the clock like ‘when are we doing this’. You saw me looking at the clock a few times and saying ‘that’s 25 seconds left? Not time yet’. Then he pointed down and I said ‘yeah, I’ll oblige’ and he hit me with a few shots. So I said ‘okay, we’re going to wrestle a little bit, let me clinch up’. There’s only eight seconds left.
Holloway delivered a last-second knockout against Justin Gaethje after prompting a chaotic slugfest with his signature point-down taunt at UFC 300 in April 2024. It’s likely that “The Diamond” had that highlight in mind and with his own retirement on the line, he wasn’t about to risk going out the same way.
