Max Holloway Locks In for UFC 318 BMF Title War—Shuts Down Return to Featherweight Speculation
Max Holloway is refreshed, refocused, and ready to rewrite history as he prepares to defend the BMF title against Dustin Poirier in a highly anticipated trilogy bout at UFC 318.
After a crushing featherweight title loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 308, Holloway announced his permanent move up to lightweight. The transition has already paid off—he delivered a jaw-dropping knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 to capture the BMF belt. Now, with a new weight class and a sharper focus, Blessed says he feels better than ever.
“It feels great, man… being able to recover good with eating a little bit more protein, putting a little bit more supplements in me is much more better than just toughening it out,” Holloway told MMA Junkie. “Without that [extra 10-pound weight cut] in the back of my mind, it’s a great feeling.”
🔁 Holloway vs. Poirier III: A Trilogy with Legacy Stakes
Their rivalry spans nearly a decade. Dustin Poirier has beaten Holloway twice—once at featherweight and again at lightweight. Now, Poirier has asked for one final legendary clash before retirement, and Holloway has stepped up, putting his BMF title on the line.
But for Holloway, this isn’t just another fight—it’s personal.
“I’m not trying to be 0-3 in two trilogies,” he said. “That’s the main history I ain’t trying to make… [Poirier] is a legend. I know it’s his last dance, but I gotta play the spoiler here. I need this one.”
The first trilogy—against Alexander Volkanovski—ended with Holloway going winless. He’s determined not to let history repeat itself.
🚫 Featherweight? Not Anymore
Despite being ranked the UFC’s #1 featherweight contender, Holloway wants out.
“I don’t know what you guys are thinking keeping me No. 1 contender. That’s kind of ridiculous. I’m not going back to [featherweight]. I’m over it,” he said.
The Topuria KO was Holloway’s first time being finished via strikes, and it sealed his decision to move up for good. Now, with Ilia having vacated the featherweight title and also moving to lightweight, Holloway says it’s time the UFC updated their rankings accordingly.
“Even with Ilia, they took him directly out of the [featherweight rankings], and they left me at No.1 contender. I was like, what the hell is going on?”
