Dustin Poirier Questions UFC 318 Judges in Emotional Retirement Fight: “It Felt Closer Than That”

Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier gave everything he had in the final fight of his legendary MMA career — but he didn’t walk away with the win, and he’s not entirely convinced the judges got it right.

In a five-round BMF slugfest at UFC 318 in New Orleans, Poirier and Max Holloway went to war in front of a roaring Louisiana crowd. While Holloway ultimately earned a unanimous decision victory, Poirier couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at the scorecards — two reading 49-46, and one 48-47, all in favor of “Blessed.”

“Just being inside the eye of the storm, it felt a lot closer to me,” Poirier said during the post-fight press conference. “I really thought it might have been 2-2 going into the fifth.”

Holloway came out strong, scoring an early knockdown in Round 1 and stunning Poirier again in the second. But Poirier dug deep, landing a massive knockdown of his own that sent the crowd into a deafening frenzy. The exchange was so chaotic, the referee didn’t even hear the round-ending horn.

“I thought I almost had him out,” Poirier said. “He told me in the medical tent, ‘Hey man, you had me out.’ … It felt a lot closer than [the scores said]. When I heard them, I was like no way.”

Still, the Lafayette native made peace with the outcome, reaffirming that his decision to retire had nothing to do with decline or defeat.

“I’m going out because I want to,” Poirier said proudly. “I wanted it to be a war and a drag-em-out fight… and that’s exactly what we gave them.”

🎤 MainEvent.News | Backstage Take

Dustin Poirier didn’t get the decision, but he left the cage on his own terms — in his home state, in front of a packed arena, and with the respect of the entire MMA world. While questions around the judging will linger, Poirier's legacy doesn’t hinge on scorecards. He went out the only way he knew how: fighting like hell until the final bell.

 Full Dustin Poirier Octagon Interview Below: