In his farewell to the octagon at UFC 318 last Saturday (19), Dustin poirier made a revelation about the frantic end of the fight against Max Holloway for the BMF belt. After controlling the pace for much of the fifth round, he was challenged by the Hawaiian to exchange blows at close range, as the former champion did before Justin gaethje, but decided to use the clinch in the final moments.
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“I wanted to do it. That’s why I kept looking at the clock. I was like, ‘When are we going to do this?’ I saw there were 25 seconds left… it wasn’t time yet. He landed some good punches, and I was like, ‘Okay, let’s wrestle for a bit.’ I grabbed him in the clinch. There were only eight seconds left,” Poirier said in an interview after UFC 318 last Saturday (19).
The fight was frenetic from the start: Holloway dropped Poirier in the second round, but ended up feeling his rival's heavier blows, who even surprised him with a guillotine attempt. Dominating, the Hawaiian defended his belt by unanimous decision.
Holloway calls for a fight and Poirier accepts, but then backs out
With just ten seconds left on the clock, he pointed to the ground, stared Poirier down, and invited the veteran into one last frank exchange. Even exhausted after five intense rounds, the American accepted the challenge.
What followed was a pure display of courage and fighting spirit. Both fighters ignored any defensive strategy and launched into an open brawl, drawing cheers and applause from the audience, who stood and watched the scene that has become a trademark of the 'Blessed One'.
In the final stretch, however, Dustin swayed and hugged his opponent to avoid being knocked out.
Poirier gets emotional and receives video from UFC
Emotions were rife from the start. Adored, Poirier entered with rapper and friend Lil Wayne, who sang the James Brown classic "The Boss." The American became emotional as he walked into the octagon. He also greeted family and friends before the final "entry blitz" of his career.
After the fight, "Diamante" expressed his gratitude for everything the UFC did for him and thanked the fans for their support, who supported him from start to finish. The UFC also showed a tribute on the big screen to the former interim lightweight champion (up to 70,3 kg).
"I thought he'd hit me hard. And he did. He's tough, fast, and accurate. He's a champion. He has all my respect. I feel blessed. Last week was incredible. I felt the love from the fans and the company. I didn't know I'd affected so many people chasing my dream. I'm a kid who's been through a lot," said Poirier.
In front of his home crowd, Poirier leaves the sport with a career record of 30 wins and ten losses. The American entered the UFC in 2011 and faced names such as Conor McGregor, Michael chandlerEddie Alvarez Anthony Pettis, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Among others.
Read More about: Dustin poirier, Max Holloway, UFC, UFC 318
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