All eyes may have been on Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway as they delivered the kind of fight fans were hoping for in the UFC 318 main event on Saturday night. But beyond the spotlight at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, the rest of the card featured plenty of jaw-dropping moments of its own.
As “The Diamond” rides off into the sunset following Saturday’s epic showdown, let’s take a look at what could be next for the winners from the UFC 318 main card.
Max Holloway
While much of the post-fight conversation has rightly centered around Dustin Poirier, it’s equally important not to overlook Max Holloway’s outstanding performance in the UFC 318 main event.
The former UFC featherweight champion, Holloway (27-8 MMA, 23-8 UFC), delivered yet another impressive showing at 155 pounds, building on his dominant knockout win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. Although his loss to Ilia Topuria last October in a featherweight title bout may keep him from leapfrogging contenders like Arman Tsarukyan and Paddy Pimblett for another shot at "El Matador," it's clear that Holloway has found a new home in the lightweight division.
There are a few worthy challengers for Holloway’s BMF title — Dan Hooker comes to mind — but the most compelling matchup may be a long-overdue rematch with Charles Oliveira (35-11 MMA, 23-11 UFC). It’s been nearly a decade since the two last met in Saskatoon, and considering all they’ve accomplished since, a BMF title fight between Holloway and Oliveira now would be a guaranteed box office hit.
Paulo Costa
Former middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa (15-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) turned back the clock in Saturday’s co-main event with an impressive counter-striking performance against Russian knockout artist Roman Kopylov.
“The Eraser” looked more like the version of himself that earned a title shot against Israel Adesanya in 2020. Coming off four losses in his previous five bouts, Costa’s performance was a pleasant surprise for many fans. Although he voiced his disdain for Khamzat Chimaev in the lead-up to UFC 318, it’s unlikely that Saturday’s win alone will be enough to land him a fight with “Borz” — unless Chimaev suffers a decisive loss to Dricus Du Plessis next month.
A more realistic next step for Costa would be a matchup with Brendan Allen (25-7 MMA, 13-4 UFC), who earned a Performance of the Night bonus for his win over Marvin Vettori on Saturday’s undercard.
Daniel Rodriguez
And just like that, the momentum Kevin Holland had built with back-to-back welterweight wins earlier this year went up in smoke. “Trailblazer” ran into a resurgent Daniel Rodriguez (20-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) in a thrilling three-round battle on Saturday’s main card, with “D-Rod” emerging victorious and earning his third consecutive win in the past nine months.
Rodriguez is likely to take Holland’s spot in the welterweight top 15 when the updated rankings are released, opening the door to some intriguing matchups for his next fight. One compelling option could be Gabriel Bonfim (18-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC), who narrowly edged out Stephen Thompson at UFC Nashville last week. The timing feels right for a clash between the two rising contenders.
Patricio Pitbull
Former Bellator champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (37-8 MMA, 1-1 UFC) earned his first UFC victory on his second attempt, outpointing Dan Ige over 15 hard-fought minutes. While his lackluster debut against Yair Rodriguez last April raised questions about whether he’s still capable of contending for UFC gold at this stage of his career, there are still plenty of compelling matchups for him at 145 pounds.
One potential opponent could be Arnold Allen (20-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC), who is currently on the comeback trail after an injury and hasn’t competed since his win over Giga Chikadze last July. “Almighty” would offer an intriguing challenge for the veteran in his next outing.
Michael Johnson
On the evening that the longevity of Dustin Poirier was clebrated, another veteran of the promotion emerged victorious in the main card opener. Michael Johnson (24-19 MMA, 16-15 UFC) brushed off the challenge of Daniel Zellhuber to pick up a win in his 31st UFC appearance, and move to 4-1 in his last five outings.
Let's match him with another elder statesmen of the featherweight division next. Renato Moicano (20-7-1 MMA, 12-7 UFC) - who recently lost to Beneil dariush at UFC 317 - would be a perfect next test for Johnson.
