'the Last Dance' - Holloway & Poirier's Epic Trilogy In Stats

One of nan astir anticipated fights of nan twelvemonth takes spot connected Saturday arsenic Max Holloway takes connected Dustin Poirier astatine UFC 318 successful New Orleans, Louisiana.

Hawaii's Holloway defends his symbolic BMF title successful nan headlining bout astatine nan Smoothie King Center, while location favourite Poirier will bring nan curtain down connected his magnificent career.

Former interim lightweight champion Poirier, 36, has won 21 of his 31 UFC bouts and is regarded by galore arsenic nan champion combatant to ne'er triumph an undisputed title.

His conflict pinch Holloway marks nan 3rd clip nan brace person met, pinch Poirier winning nan erstwhile 2 encounters.

"It feels surreal but it's nan correct time. I don't want nan athletics to chew maine up, I want to locomotion away, I don't want it to discontinue me," said Poirier.

"We've fought astatine different times arsenic different men and each conflict has been truthful different. It's exciting. Max is simply a legend, [a] hallway of famer, and a bully personification truthful fighting him for nan past 1 seems poetic."

Holloway is starting nan adjacent section of his distinguished profession by moving up to lightweight permanently aft conclusion by Ilia Topuria for nan featherweight title successful October.

"It sucks it has to beryllium Dustin but this is his past creation and I'm present to play spoiler," said Holloway.

It takes a typical matchup to header a numbered UFC conflict paper erstwhile location is nary divisional title connected nan statement and Holloway v Poirier ticks each box.

The brace are instrumentality favourites and stalwarts of nan UFC, boasting sparkling resumes which will undoubtedly spot some 1 time inducted into nan Hall of Fame.

Tied connected 22 wins successful nan promotion each, if Holloway aliases Poirier triumph connected Saturday they will move joint-second successful nan UFC's all-time database for astir victories.

Both person thrilled fans pinch item reel moments complete nan years. In 2021, Poirier became nan only combatant to sound retired Conor McGregor, while 3 years later Holloway delivering nan 'knockout of nan century'.

The brace person captured nan hearts of fans complete nan years, but Poirier should person nan mostly of fans connected his broadside connected Saturday pinch nan Louisiana autochthonal competing successful beforehand of his location crowd.

The bout will reason 1 of nan promotion's astir iconic trilogies, 13 years connected since their first gathering making it nan longest three-fight agelong successful UFC history.

Poirier welcomed Holloway to nan UFC successful 2012, winning their featherweight title pinch a triangle armbar successful nan first round.

They would meet again 7 years later pinch Holloway looking to adhd nan interim lightweight title to his featherweight belt, but it was Poirier who again triumphed, this clip by unanimous decision.

That night, nan brace mixed for 359 important strikes which is nan single-fight grounds for a UFC lightweight bout.

Striking is wherever nan brace excel, pinch Holloway holding nan grounds for astir important strikes successful UFC history pinch 3,457, and Poirier eighth connected nan database pinch 1,752.

Although Holloway is competing successful only his 3rd UFC lightweight bout, nan Hawaiian holds aggregate records astatine featherweight, including:

He has 1 conclusion astatine lightweight - to Poirier successful 2019 - and 1 triumph against Justin Gaethje past year, and is aiming to go nan first combatant to take sides nan BMF belt.

Although Poirier doesn't lead successful stats astatine lightweight for illustration Holloway does astatine featherweight, he is still among nan division's elite. Poirier is:

Victory complete Holloway will spot Poirier triumph nan BMF title astatine nan 2nd effort pursuing conclusion by Gaethje successful 2023, and discontinue arsenic arguably nan champion combatant to ne'er unify a division.