Poirier’s Holloway Trilogy Ends in UFC 318 Loss
After UFC 308 in October 2024, Dustin Poirier said he wanted to fight either Ilia Topuria or Max Holloway. The Topuria matchup never materialized. Poirier did meet Holloway for a third time in July 2025, in what Poirier called his final fight; Holloway won a unanimous decision and defended the BMF title.
The callout after UFC 308
Poirier reacted to Topuria’s third-round knockout of Holloway at UFC 308 and voiced interest in fighting either man. It was a public expression of interest, not a bout announcement. At the time, Topuria held the featherweight title, while Poirier had long competed at lightweight. The division difference made a Topuria fight a less straightforward option, and no contest between them was booked.
Poirier and Holloway completed their trilogy
Poirier had beaten Holloway in their first two meetings: a featherweight bout in 2012 and an interim lightweight championship fight at UFC 236 in 2019. The third fight came at UFC 318 in New Orleans on July 19, 2025, for Holloway’s BMF title. Holloway won a five-round unanimous decision, with judges scoring it 49-46, 49-46 and 49-46.
The bout was billed as Poirier’s final walk to the Octagon. He retired after the loss, closing his professional MMA career in his home state. That made the Holloway trilogy the matchup from the 2024 callout that ultimately happened; the proposed Topuria fight remained an idea.
Where the other possibility went
Topuria later vacated the featherweight belt to pursue the lightweight championship, which he won in 2025. That change in division further separated the original 2024 callout from the route his career took. The outcome of Poirier’s request is now clear: a third fight with Holloway was made, while a bout with Topuria never was.
Sources: MMA Fighting on Poirier’s UFC 308 callout; UFC 318 official results; UFC 318 scorecards; UFC on Topuria’s move to lightweight.
