Max Holloway Lashes Out on Dana White over Bonus Snub after UFC 318

UFC BMF champion Max Holloway slams promotional CEO Dana White for not giving him the Fight of the Night bonus award.

Max Holloway Lashes Out on Dana White over Bonus Snub after UFC 318

Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier didn't get the Fight of the Night bonus award at UFC 318 (via X/Imago)

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Last night, Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier battled each other for the symbolic BMF championship title at UFC 318. Before the fight, both fighters guaranteed fireworks, and they unquestionably delivered an unforgettable high-paced striking war. After five exhausting, action-filled rounds of relentless exchanges, Holloway secured a well-deserved unanimous decision victory over Poirier.

From the opening round, both Holloway and Poirier went all out, aggressively exchanging heavy blows without hesitation or fear. Despite their colossal effort and thrilling action, Dana White wasn’t impressed enough to award the Fight of the Night bonus. During the intense post-fight press conference, Holloway expressed visible disappointment and called out the company’s CEO.

I hope you guys give sh*t to Dana. How the hell did we not get fight of the night bro? What is he thinking? Come on Dana. 

Max Holloway via UFC 318 Presser

Brendan Allen and Marvin Vettori earned the Fight of the Night bonus at UFC 318, impressing with a high-octane war on the prelims. Performance of the Night bonuses went to Islam Dulatov, Carli Judice, and Ateba Gautier for their decisive and spectacular finishes in the opening rounds. In the comments, the fans were divided, with many siding with Holloway and others calling White’s decision right. 

Holloway is famous for delivering electrifying UFC performances, earning seven Fight of the Night and five Performance bonuses throughout. At UFC 300, Holloway stunned the world by earning a record-breaking $600,000, winning both Fight and Performance of Night.

His unforgettable knockout against Justin Gaethje earned massive praise, making Holloway’s performance one of UFC history’s most memorable moments ever. Similarly, Poirier has consistently participated in brutal wars, showcasing remarkable heart and determination throughout his legendary UFC career.

In his final appearance, ‘The Diamond’ couldn’t secure victory, losing the BMF title opportunity for the second time in his career. Despite the heartbreaking defeat, Louisiana’s passionate crowd erupted with love and respect when Poirier emotionally retired and left his gloves inside the Octagon.

Dustin Poirier reveals backing out against Max Holloway in the last ten seconds

At UFC 300, Max Holloway made his famous “last ten-second stand-and-bang” gesture extremely viral with an epic knockout. ‘Blessed’ pointed to the canvas, stood his ground, and delivered ferocious punches, creating an unforgettable viral moment. Ahead of UFC 318, both Holloway and Dustin Poirier planned to recreate the electrifying stand-and-bang spectacle during their final round.

Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier at UFC 318
Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier at UFC 318 (via X)

However, during UFC 318’s closing moments, Holloway stood and traded punches while Poirier hesitated, backing away from that anticipated slugfest exchange. Similar to UFC 300, the Hawaiian superstar was winning the fight via points, but still chose to take the risk. During the post-fight presser, Poirier shared his opinion on choosing not to go with it. 

I wanted to do it. That’s why I kept looking at the clock. Then we put it down and I obliged. He hit me with a few shots and I said ‘Okay, we’re gonna wrestle a little bit.’ Then we clinched up and there’s only eight seconds left. 

Dustin Poirier via UFC 318 Presser

Poirier strongly believed the fight was very competitive, openly admitting confusion about the judges’ extremely wide scorecards announced afterwards. Regardless, Holloway successfully got revenge for his previous two losses against Poirier, finally achieving a satisfying victory in their rivalry.

Moreover, after defeating Poirier, Holloway bounced back from his last loss and confidently called out the current lightweight champion Ilia Topuria for a future title clash. No longer cutting to 145-pounds could make a Topuria vs. Holloway rematch intriguing as the Hawaiian looks fantastic in the lightweight division.

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