Dustin Poirier was not fascinated by preventing Max Holloway once more.
On July 19, ‘The Diamond’ will step contained in the Octagon for the ultimate time when he meets ‘Blessed’ for the BMF title at UFC 318 in New Orleans.
Although Poirier has already overwhelmed Holloway on two separate events contained in the Octagon, followers nonetheless welcomed the scrap with open arms. Nonetheless, Poirier wasn’t fairly as welcoming.
Throughout a latest interview with MMA Junkie, Poirier revealed that he’d been pushing onerous for a trilogy struggle with Justin Gaethje, noting that the 2 of them are tied 1-1.
When the UFC nixed that concept, Poirier lobbied for a showdown with former featherweight king Ilia Topuria. Sadly, ‘El Matador’ was already plotting a transfer to light-weight on the situation of a assured title alternative.
With choices working low, the UFC in the end booked Poirier vs. Holloway 3, with ‘Blessed’ placing his bragging rights belt on the road.
“I used to be asking Hunter [Campbell] for Gaethje, as a result of we’re 1-1 I wished to shut out that trilogy,” Poirier mentioned. “For some motive they actually wished this struggle. That’s cool as a result of I respect [Max] for my final struggle…When [Ilia] mentioned he was going to 155, I texted the UFC and mentioned ‘Hey, let me know what’s happening with this man. ’ However they by no means entertained it, they instructed me it’s not occurring and so they wished Max.”
Dustin Poirier’s historical past with Holloway goes again greater than a decade
On paper, Poirier vs. Gaethje 3 makes much more sense, however in all chance, the UFC desires to offer Poirier a possibility to retire with a title, even when it’s a made-up belt that doesn’t actually quantity to something.
Poirier’s first assembly with Holloway got here all the way in which again at UFC 143 in 2012. On that evening, ‘The Diamond’ scored a quick-fire submission victory, forcing ‘Blessed’ to faucet out resulting from a triangle armbar on the 3:23 mark of the opening spherical.
They’d run it again seven years later for the interim light-weight championship at UFC 236. This time, it took Poirier all 5 rounds, however the consequence remained the identical, giving ‘The Diamond’ a 2-0 report in opposition to the Hawaiian.
Quick ahead one other six years, and so they’ll do it once more for the third and remaining time.
