According to a spectacular beginning at the start of a soft-man of a favorite of fans, the UFC 318 was a roller coaster of emotions.
In the main event, Max Holloway successfully defended his BMF championship, beating Dustin Poirier. The last fight of his career trilogy ended a series that started 13 years ago. Before the event, Poirier announced that he would retire after the fight.
In the co-printing event, the former Challenger of the average weight title Paulo Costa took a skid with two fights, beating Roman Kopylov by unanimous decision. Also on the map, Islam Dulatov made a statement during its UFC debut, eliminating Adam Fugitt in the first round. Dulatov is also a print model for creative brands.
Brett Okamoto and Jeff Wagenheim offer their take -out dishes from the UFC 318.
Thank you, Dustin Poirier
During my 15 years covering MMA, I rarely felt obliged to offer a personal “thank you” to an athlete when he retired. It is not that I am not grateful to everyone. I love to look at people hunting the size and breaking the perceived “limits” that we place and the others. It is the most beautiful thing about combat sports. I just don’t have the impression that it is always my place to thank them specifically for their career in its end.
However, Poirier is different. Honestly, he inspired me in my own life. I remember that after winning the light temporary title against Max Hollway in Atlanta in 2019, there were difficult people on the Internet who implied that Poirier had too much cared for temporary status, saying things like: “Conseish yourself, you are not even the real champion.” Poirier didn’t care. He fights his own battles in life – like the rest of us – but he never retreats, and he does it publicly, without ever being false or seeing. This is why he was so loved in this sport. They are not victories and losses; This is the fight he has in him.
I could list my favorite memories of his career, but I don’t need it. He may never officially organize the UFC’s undisputed championship, but he is a champion as legitimate as the others in my mind. I am grateful to have had a seat at the forefront of his trip. – Okamoto
Holloway did exactly what was chosen to do
It was a night created to celebrate the leaving pear tree, but Holloway also deserves love for the way it brought out “the diamond”.
Some might say that Holloway has spoiled the party, but I contrast it saying that he gave the fans of pear and pear exactly what they came: a fight. Five concession and socket laps. No retirement. This battle with Holloway allows Poirier to go away knowing that he spent everything he had left for sport.
Holloway was perfect for his role in this emotional event. It would have been a shame that the UFC had reserved Poirier in a fight against retirement against an antagonist trying to decrease it (there are several on the list). It was not an opportunity to speak or animosity of the garbage. Holloway tried to bring fans of New Orleans to huer him respect for Poirier, but what would Cretin hue this guy? It was obvious to all those who were careful this week that Poirier and Holloway had only love for each other. Each bruising on their faces and bodies, each drop of blood shed, everything was palpable proof of their shared love for sport and the people who do things the right way.
After raising the hand, the disappointment of the King Center crow’s crowd, Holloway said a few words on the microphone, but quickly sold the center of the hour cage. It was a pure class. All this trilogy was class and class. The MMA needs athletes like these two, and it is good that at least one of them continues to compete. -Wagenheim
The crowd entered early, thanks to the preliminary fighters
As if New Orleans fans needed more reasons than the retirement fight of Lafayette, Louisiana, a native of Poirier to get excited, the preliminary fighters have done their part to revise the King Center smoothie.
The first six fights of the evening ended with the arrival, starting with a performance of climbing on the fly by the fly weight of women Carli Judice, which is from the hometown of Poirier and which was in its sixth pro fight. The crowd ate this one.
The following five fights did not even get out of the first round.
According to ESPN Research, when the early preliminaries with five fights ended with five finishes, it was only the second time in the history of the UFC that occurred (with the UFC 259 in 2021, which had finished in its first five fights on a map with six early preliminaries). The five -round finishes failed the UFC seven UFC record, which occurred on 10 cards, more recently in 2015 – in New Orleans, a city famous for the second lines but apparently not the second round. – Wagenheim
