Max Holloway became the first fighter to successfully defend the BMF title, defeating Dustin Poirier in an instant classic at UFC 318 in New Orleans.
Poirier’s night nearly came to a crashing halt in the opening round as Holloway connected with a right hand that knocked the former interim lightweight titleholder down. Poirier weathered the early storm, but he failed to get off much offense for the remainder of the stanza.
Holloway picked up right where he left off in the first, connecting with a three-piece that had Poirier on wobbly legs. Smelling blood in the water, ‘Blessed’ rushed in and looked to finish things on the mat, but Poirier survived the onslaught and made it back to his feet.
Once upright, Poirier offered up a combination of his own that rocked Holloway. ‘The Diamond’ moved in, looking to score some ground-and-pound points, but there wasn’t enough time on the clock for him to take full advantage.
With two very competitive rounds in the third and fourth, it all came down to the fifth. Poirier attempted to close the distance, but every time he moved in, he was met with an onslaught of strikes from the former featherweight king.
As expected, Holloway stood his ground and traded with Poirier for the final 10 seconds of the fight, but neither man could land the knockout shot, sending us to the scorecards.
Official Result: Max Holloway def. Dustin Poirier via unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46) to retain the BMF championship.
Check Out Highlights From Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier at UFC 318:
