The final chapter in Dustin Poirier’s illustrious career will be written this weekend when “The Diamond” makes his final walk to the Octagon in the main event at UFC 318. With the event taking place in Poirier’s home state of Louisiana, fans can expect a rapturous reception for the former UFC interim lightweight champion as he enters the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans to face Max Holloway for the BMF title.
Ahead of what promises to be an emotional evening for Poirier’s longtime supporters, let’s take a look at the main card action at UFC 318 this Saturday night.
Main Event: Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier (BMF Title)
Although Max Holloway (26–8 MMA, 22–8 UFC) has flown somewhat under the radar leading up to UFC 318 due to the spotlight on Poirier’s impending retirement, he’s certainly not a fighter to be underestimated—especially in a high-stakes matchup.
“Blessed” will look to crash Poirier’s farewell party and become the first fighter in UFC history to successfully defend the BMF title. While questions remain about Holloway’s durability following the devastating knockout he suffered at the hands of Ilia Topuria last October, there’s no doubt he remains one of the most dangerous strikers the UFC has ever seen.
Holloway has landed 100 or more significant strikes in 16 UFC fights—a staggering feat. For comparison, Sean Strickland ranks second on that list with nine such bouts.
Poirier, meanwhile, has a chance to make a bit of history himself. He’s currently tied with Drew Dober for the most knockout wins in UFC lightweight history (9). If he finishes Holloway this weekend to claim the record outright—and walks away with the BMF belt—it might help ease the sting of going 0–3 in UFC undisputed title fights.
Fans will be hoping for a repeat of the second fight in their series at UFC 236 where between them they set new UFC lightweight records for significant strikes attempted (827) and landed (359).
Co-Main Event: Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov (Middleweight)
Two fighters at very different stages of their careers will collide in Saturday’s co-main event. Paulo Costa (14–4 MMA, 6–4 UFC), including his unsuccessful bid for the UFC middleweight title against Israel Adesanya in 2020, has gone just 1–4 in his last five appearances at 185 pounds.
In contrast, his opponent this weekend, Roman Kopylov (14–3 MMA, 6–3 UFC), has rebounded impressively after dropping his first two UFC bouts. He’s since won six of his last seven fights, with five of those victories coming by knockout.
Kevin Holland vs. Daniel Rodriguez (Welterweight)
The most active fighter of 2025 returns to the Octagon for the fourth time this year on Saturday, as Kevin Holland (28–13 MMA, 15–10 UFC) looks to earn his third straight victory since moving back down to 170 pounds following his submission loss to Reinier de Ridder in January.
Back-to-back wins over Gunnar Nelson and Vicente Luque have earned “Trailblazer” two Performance of the Night bonuses. His opponent this weekend, Daniel Rodriguez, is also riding a two-fight win streak, having outpointed Alex Morono last October before scoring a knockout victory over Santiago Ponzinibbio two months ago.
Dan Ige vs. Patricio Pitbull (Featherweight)
After dropping his UFC debut to Yair Rodriguez in April, former Bellator champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (36–8 MMA, 0–1 UFC) will once again search for his first win inside the Octagon. The Brazilian stands as the only fighter in Bellator history to hold four separate title reigns and holds the organization’s all-time records for most fights (30), most wins (24), and most stoppage victories (14) before its closure.
This weekend, he faces another tough challenge in Dan Ige (19–9 MMA, 11–8 UFC), who snapped a two-fight losing streak with a knockout win over Sean Woodson in his most recent appearance.
Michael Johnson vs. Daniel Zellhuber (Lightweight)
Saturday’s main card opener features veteran Michael Johnson (23–19 MMA, 15–15 UFC), who will make his 31st walk to the Octagon. The Missouri native has struggled with consistency throughout his UFC career but has managed to win three of his last four fights.
On the other side, Mexican prospect Daniel Zellhuber (15–2 MMA, 3–2 UFC) looks to bounce back after a hard-fought decision loss in a Fight of the Year contender against Esteban Ribovics at the Sphere in September. “Golden Boy” had been riding a three-fight winning streak before that setback and has earned Performance of the Night bonuses in each of his last three appearances—solidifying his status as one to watch this weekend.
