Max Holloway has no doubts what will happen if his UFC 318 trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier reaches the final 10 seconds.
Holloway (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC) has become famous for pointing to the center of the octagon and recklessly exchanging in the closing moments of his fights, if they go that long, with no moment being bigger than his epic last-second finish of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. If that situation arises again on Saturday, “Blessed” is confident Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) will plant his feet and exchange until one of them goes down or the closing horn sounds in his retirement bout.
“(I’m) 100 percent sure he would,” Holloway told MMA Junkie. “Last dance. Last 10 seconds. Point down to the ground. He might even do it. I’m 100 percent sure he’s going to bring it.”
Poirier submitted Holloway in their first meeting at UFC 143 in February 2012. The rematch at UFC 236 in April 2019 was an instant classic, with both men scrapping hard for 25 minutes and being bloodied in the process.
In fact, before the fifth round began in the rematch, Poirier was the one who pointed to the ground and invited a scrap for the final five minutes. He closed it out strong to win a unanimous decision and an interim title, and now the pair will close out their trilogy at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+), with the winner taking home the BMF belt.
Poirier recently told MMA Junkie that he wants one last war for his final fight and will go out like a “knuckle head.” He wants to bleed with Holloway one more time before laying his gloves down for good, and that is music to the ears of “Blessed,” who will gleefully give Poirier what he wants.
“Hearing those words excites me,” Holloway said. “If it’s a war he wants, it’s a war he’s going to get. It’s going to be a bunch of knuckleheads in there. I wouldn’t want it any other way, especially with the BMF title on the line.”
