“That’s One Of The Things…” Ex-Champ Bills Max Holloway Would Outbox Dustin Poirier With ‘No. 1 Adjustment’

Ex-champ resoundingly bills Max Holloway can beat Dustin Poirier’s standup with range and dexterity this weekend, at UFC 318 PPV main event.

“That’s One Of The Things…” Ex-Champ Bills Max Holloway Would Outbox Dustin Poirier With ‘No. 1 Adjustment’

Ex-UFC champ thinks Max Holloway can neutralize Dustin Poirier at UFC 318 (Source: X)

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This weekend at UFC 318 PPV, Max Holloway will be looking to avoid a three-peat against Dustin Poirier. Meanwhile, Poirier’s final fight is a trilogy bout in the form of the current BMF titleholder, equally potent. Both are some of the best, hard-chinned, consensus fan-favorite boxers in the roster.

The 24th UFC Event and 8th Pay-per-view offering this season fits the ‘legends’ only fight ‘The Diamond’ was looking to go out on. Dustin Poirier is going up against someone who cemented his standing with a one-of-one KOTY and got the ‘Baddest of All’ implications, winning the BMF hardware contested at 155 pounds.

Max Holloway, on the other hand, is entering the fray of his 13th UFC headlining spot and isn’t actually spot-free. He has lost before, recently got KOed for the first time, and has lost twice to Poirier as well. Poirier played spoiler to his UFC debut as well as broke his 13-fight streak in 2019.

Two-time UFC 135-pound Champ Dominick Cruz broke down Poirier vs. Holloway 3 on ESPN MMA, stating how the Hawaiian can put off a 0-3 stat.

Holloway is going to make adjustments to this, ….THE #1 adjustment is start with the hands, finish with the kicks because this man’s moving backwards. Holloway’s got nasty, very, very good kicks with a lot of dexterity..[So, kicks] …the way Max can beat the boxing of Poirier is by using his kicks and using his range. This teep kick slides in there like a jab…That’s one of the things we’ve seen from Max as well. He was countering Poirier’s head shots by going to the body. So, whenever Poirier would slide back, Max would go [to body].

Dominick Cruz on ‘Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier 3👊 UFC 318 Breakdown’ | @ESPNMMA

Cruz billed that Poirier’s ability to pull his opponents into range is what makes him really dangerous. The closing range and tact-swinging are where he finds success in standup. The same happened when he closed range and brought the rival into a pocket, finally finishing berserker Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 299 PPV, in Miami.

Before that, though, the lightweight was facing troubles with Saint-Denis grazing him fence-side with hard elbows in R1, and spoiling with anti-wrestling rolls and tucks. Meanwhile, Max Holloway is infamous for his ranged kicks. That, and a 69″ reach advantage, where big talking points against his last opponent, Ilia Topuria, who himself doesn’t resort to body kicks.

Holloway even broke No.4-ranked lightweight Justin Gaethje’s nose with a spinning heel kick last summer. The fighter was bodied by Poirier’s sharp boxing during their 2019 slugfest; this time, he is poised to fare better if he can utilize his kicks well, his slide-back hook, spinning sequences, and so on.

Lightweight Dustin Poirier has always been known as a fighter and brawler, even to his own kin

Max Holloway bagged quite a few style points in his last appearance at 155 pounds. His first cut at the limit against interim title challenger Poirier wasn’t that good the first time. This time, he packed proper musculature, and it showed. He scored major damage, all the way en route to the most unique buzzer-beater KOs ever logged.

UFC 318 challenger Dustin Poirier has been a legend of the game
UFC 318 challenger Dustin Poirier has been a legend of the game (Source: X)

Holloway might have had one-way traffic in the PPV lineup last April, but Dustin Poirier is, and always has been the warrior. The Louisiana lightweight has maintained a top 10 ranking for nine straight years! Now that he is entering his 14th UFC Main Event, he is one of a kind.

It’s well known that Poirier veers to his family for his inspiration and reason to do it all. Moments with his daughter often go viral, as it did after UFC 302 PPV. Last summer, then-champ Islam Makhachev went to war and spoiled his title bid via a round-five submission.

Dustin Poirier’s longevity has been quite something, so much so that a child’s mind billed that’s all he did. After some 19 years of pro MMA tenure, oddsmakers and pundits agree. Per BetOnline.Ag, he was an underdog, but clocked in as a -120 favorite and rising, to retire with flying colors.

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