issue 219

July 2025

It was supposed to be Dustin Poirier giving us one final iconic image to close out his career. Instead, Max Holloway was the one to give us the gesture that’s likely to adorn the walls of man caves around the world. In the final seconds of their BMF title war, Holloway pointed to the canvas and invited Poirier to throw hands. We’d seen it before at UFC 300, but this invitation was drenched in history, heart, and just enough madness. It created a moment that froze time where two legends, battered and swaying, traded on instinct and legacy. Holloway had already dropped Poirier twice and was ahead on the cards, but this wasn’t about points. It was about pride. The crowd in New Orleans roared as their hometown hero accepted the gesture, even as his movement slowed and his face wore the toll. This image, where Holloway is finger down, chin up, eyes daring, is the final word on both their stories. One fighter says goodbye. The other refuses to let nostalgia soften the blows.

July 20, 2025

UFC 318, Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana

Photo credit: @UFC