UFC 318 is upon us.
In Saturday's main event, Dustin Poirier steps into the Octagon for the final time of his career to face Max Holloway for the BMF title. And in the co-headliner, Paulo Costa returns to action against Roman Kopylov at middleweight.
Here are three key storylines ahead of the UFC's return to Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
Will Poirier finish his career with a bang?
After 14 years, 32 walks to the Octagon, and several iconic fights, "The Diamond" is saying farewell. Poirier will step into the cage one more time - in his home state of Louisiana, no less - for a trilogy bout against Holloway, the BMF champion, before putting his Hall of Fame career in the rearview mirror.
The UFC is giving Poirier the kind of send-off he deserves. The beloved lightweight gets his long-awaited homecoming (the promotion hasn't been to New Orleans since 2015), one more pay-per-view main event, and a fan-friendly matchup that, on a good night, could be the Fight of the Year. This is the least the UFC could do for someone like Poirier, who has literally given his blood, sweat, and tears to the sport.
Poirier is thrilled he gets to finish his career with a fellow legend like Holloway on the other side of the cage.
"Max, the accolades he has, being the current BMF champion, former undisputed champion, beat the best of the best, this guy's gonna be in the Hall of Fame. And he's a good dude," Poirier said on ESPN's "First Take." "He's one of the real fighters cut from that old-school cloth. It's an honor for him to be my last fight in the UFC."
But Holloway is far from a layup fight. Quite the opposite, actually.
Yes, Poirier has beaten him twice, but this is a different matchup now than it was in 2012 and even in 2019. Holloway has fully committed to the lightweight division and won't look like the smaller, weaker fighter like he did at UFC 236 six years ago. He's even the slight betting favorite on theScore Bet.
Will Poirier ride off into the sunset with a victory, or will Holloway play spoiler? Only one way to find out.
What's in store for Holloway at 155 pounds?
Holloway is in the lightweight division to stay after bouncing between weight classes last year. And this fight will have a massive impact on his future as a 155-pound contender.
If Holloway gets revenge and beats Poirier, he'll very much be a player in the division as we settle into the second half of 2025. Holloway knocked out Justin Gaethje in a lightweight bout last year, immediately catapulting him into the top five. But he raised some questions when he suffered a devastating knockout loss to Ilia Topuria in a featherweight title bout six months later. Now that Holloway is moving to 155 pounds for good, a win over Poirier would solidify him as one of the top lightweights in the promotion and set him up for a big 2026.
But a loss could signal that Holloway is nearing the end of his days as a title contender. He's only 33 years old, but he's had 34 professional fights and has been in the UFC since he was 20. That's a lot of miles on the body.
Is Costa's UFC career on the line vs. Kopylov?
Costa's UFC career has left a lot to be desired over the last five years.
The Brazilian unsuccessfully challenged Israel Adesanya for the middleweight title as a red-hot, undefeated contender in 2020. Since then, he's 1-3 in the Octagon, with his sole victory coming against a past-his-prime Luke Rockhold in 2022.
Where has Costa gone wrong?
That's what he hopes to solve this weekend when he takes on Russia's Kopylov, who's ranked No. 14 in the division and has won six of his last seven fights.
To put it bluntly, it's desperation time for Costa. Once the hottest up-and-comer at 185 pounds, he's nothing more than an afterthought now. Someone who shows up to fight every now and then and then fades back into oblivion. Someone the UFC might consider using to put over today's prospects.
Physically, Costa still has what it takes to make waves in this sport. But if he's going to ever get his Octagon career back on track, now's the time. It's now or never.
