UFC legend Dustin Poirier has his final fight in the calendar — and it comes against a familiar adversary.
Poirier will be making his farewell as an active mixed martial artist in 2025. He committed to one more walk to the Octagon soon after his latest failed shot at the undisputed lightweight title last June in Newark, where he was submitted in round five of the UFC 302 main event by Islam Makhachev.
“The Diamond” outlined that he was targeting fellow “legends” of the sport for a showdown close to home in New Orleans this summer when discussing his search for an opponent.
And when it comes to that description, the promotion certainly obliged.
The UFC officially announced this week that Poirier will run it back with Max Holloway in competition for the symbolic BMF title at UFC 318 in New Orleans on July 19.
While Poirier is coming off a submission defeat to the lightweight kingpin last time out, Holloway fell short opposite Ilia Topuria, the now-former featherweight titleholder. "Blessed" was knocked out for the first time in his career by "El Matador" in Abu Dhabi last October.
The Hawaiian will now return to lightweight to defend the BMF belt for the first time since capturing it from Justin Gaethje, who earned the symbolic strap with a KO of Poirier in 2023.
Holloway is currently 0-2 against "The Diamond," having been submitted by the Louisianan in 2012 before being outpointed in their 2019 rematch for the interim UFC lightweight title.