NEW ORLEANS, LA – UFC 318 delivered a night of thrilling action and emotional goodbyes, as Max Holloway cemented his legacy with a dominant victory over Dustin Poirier in their highly anticipated trilogy fight. The main event saw Holloway retain his BMF title, spoiling Poirier's retirement fight in front of his home crowd in New Orleans.

Holloway (28-8) vs. Poirier (30-10)

The highly anticipated main event saw a spirited, high-volume performance from Max Holloway. He dropped Poirier twice in the opening round with his signature combinations, demonstrating his striking prowess. While Poirier showed incredible resilience, recovering quickly and even attempting a late guillotine choke in the second, Holloway remained in control. "Blessed" continued to land cleaner shots and outstruck "The Diamond" significantly throughout the bout, ultimately winning via unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46).

The fight marked the end of an illustrious career for Dustin Poirier, who announced his retirement after the contest. Poirier, a former interim lightweight champion and a fan favorite, leaves the sport with an impressive record and memorable wins over some of the biggest names in MMA. The New Orleans crowd gave their native son a heartfelt send-off, acknowledging his incredible contributions to the sport.

Co-Main Event: Paulo Costa (15-4) vs. Roman Kopylov (13-5)

In the co-main event, Paulo Costa snapped a three-fight losing streak with a unanimous decision victory over Roman Kopylov (30-27, 30-27, 29-28). Costa came out aggressively, outlanding Kopylov significantly in the first round and leaving him bloodied. He maintained control through the fight, securing a much-needed win to re-establish himself in the middleweight division. Post-fight, Costa wasted no time calling out Khamzat Chimaev.

Other Notable Main Card Results:

 Daniel Rodriguez (20-5) def. Kevin Holland (28-14) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28): In a welterweight clash, Daniel Rodriguez continued his winning ways, securing his third consecutive victory in what was described as a "Fight of the Night" contender.

Patricio Pitbull (37-8) def. Dan Ige (18-9) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28): In a featherweight bout, Patricio "Pitbull" Freire made a successful return to the UFC, dominating Ige with five takedowns.

Michael Johnson (25-19) def. Daniel Zellhuber (14-2) via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28): The lightweight veteran opened the main card with an upset, outworking the younger Zellhuber to earn his third straight win.

UFC 318 provided a memorable night for fight fans, showcasing thrilling contests and a poignant farewell to one of the sport's true warriors in Dustin Poirier. The event solidified Max Holloway's standing as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters and set the stage for intriguing matchups in various divisions.