Dana White: UFC 318 Booked for New Orleans at Dustin Poirier’s Request

The hype is already beginning to build for Dustin Poirier’s farewell fight.

Poirier will square off against Max Holloway for the third time in the UFC 318 headliner on July 19 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. In an interview with Louisiana-based news outlet WDSU, UFC CEO Dana White admitted that the event was put together at Poirier’s request.

“Throughout the world, Dustin Poirier is a big star for us,” White said. “He’s accomplished a lot in the sport. This is for him, to be honest with you. This is for him. He wanted to have his last fight and end his career in New Orleans so here we are.”

Poirier has been an interim champion, but has come up short twice in bids for undisputed gold: first against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 and then more recently vs. Islam Makhachev at UFC 302. Still, “The Diamond” is among the sport’s most beloved fighters for his all-action style, and according to White, is one of the best to ever compete in the Octagon.

“Actually, he’s ranked No. 5 in the world right now in the lightweight division. He’s a guy who’s held his position in the top 10 in the sport for a very long time. He’s achieved a lot,” White said. “He’s one of the all-time greats. Thousands of people have fought in the UFC I don’t know where I could rank him but he’s one of the all-time greats.”

Poirier and Holloway last met at UFC 236, when the Louisianan earned a five-round verdict to capture interim 155-pound gold. Their first matchup occurred at UFC 143 on Feb. 4, 2012, when Poirier submitted Holloway in the opening stanza.

“Poirier is fighting Max Holloway, another one of the all-time greats,” White said. “It should be an amazing fight … We haven’t been back there in a long time. If you are from around New Orleans and you have never been to a UFC fight, it is the most exciting live sporting event you will ever see.”