UFC 318
| Company type | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports entertainment |
| Founded | July 19, 2025 |
| Headquarters | New Orleans, Louisiana , United States |
Area served | United States |
UFC 318: Holloway vs. Poirier 3 was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on July 19, 2025, hosted at the Smoothie King Center located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.
Background
This event represented the UFC's sixth visit to New Orleans and its first appearance there since June 2015.
The headline bout showcased former Featherweight Champion Max Holloway defending his unofficial "BMF" (baddest motherfucker) belt against former interim Lightweight Champion Dustin Poirier in a lightweight contest. This encounter marked their third confrontation and served as Poirier's retirement fight. Their competitive history began at UFC 143 in 2012, where Poirier secured a submission victory, followed by another win via unanimous decision at UFC 236 in 2019 to claim the interim lightweight crown.
On the preliminary card, a middleweight clash between ex-title challenger Marvin Vettori and former LFA Middleweight Champion Brendan Allen took place after being postponed due to Vettori’s injury in April 2024.
Welterweight fighters Islam Dulatov and Adam Fugitt competed following a previous postponement caused by Dulatov’s injury.
A welterweight matchup between Neil Magny and Gunnar Nelson was called off two weeks before the event because of Nelson’s hamstring injury; Magny was reassigned to a subsequent card.
Light heavyweight contenders Jimmy Crute and Marcin Prachnio met after Prachnio pulled out of their initial February 2025 bout.
Middleweight athletes Ateba Abega Gautier and Robert Valentin were transferred to this event from the UFC on ESPN show held the prior week.
A women’s strawweight fight featuring Amanda Ribas versus Tabatha Ricci was rescheduled to UFC on ABC: Whittaker vs. de Ridder.
Former middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa faced off against Roman Kopylov, with their contest moved from UFC 317 to UFC 318.
Welterweights Kevin Holland and Daniel Rodriguez finally met after several postponements dating back to 2020, which were influenced by injuries and weight complications affecting other participants.
Middleweights Ikram Aliskerov and Brunno Ferreira were slated to compete; however, Aliskerov withdrew due to a broken toe and was replaced by promotional newcomer Jackson McVey.
Bonus awards
Monetary bonuses of $50,000 were awarded as follows:
- Fight of the Night: Brendan Allen vs. Marvin Vettori
- Performance of the Night: Ateba Abega Gautier, Islam Dulatov, and Carli Judice