The UFC made a rare exception for one of the most beloved fighters on the roster but this won’t be a regular occurrence going forward.
Dustin Poirier announced his retirement ahead of time before UFC 318 was confirmed to be his last dance.
In a somewhat surprising move from the UFC, the promotion moved plans around in order to give Poirier the perfect send-off in his home state of Louisiana.
July 19 will see him make the walk for one last time as Poirier faces Max Holloway for a third time with the BMF belt on the line.
Unfortunately for Holloway, he may not receive the same special treatment once he decides to call time on his own legendary career.
Dana White says he won’t grant Max Holloway a retirement fight in Hawaii just for accepting UFC 318
During his featherweight title run in particular, there was a big dream that Max Holloway wanted to tick off while he was on top of the sport.
‘Blessed’ dreamed of bringing the Octagon back to his home country of Hawaii so that the fan favorite could put on a show for his people.
Similarly to other destinations that the UFC hasn’t yet arrived in, there are several key issues with Hawaii as a location, with finding a suitable venue being one of them.
In an interview with Spinnin Backfist, Dana White was asked whether after giving Dustin Poirier his retirement fight in front of his home fans, whether he’ll have to do the same for Holloway after ‘Blessed’ accepted the role of spoiler.
White said that while he would love to do an event in Hawaii, he’s not going to commit to that just because of how UFC 318 has come together.
“No, not at all. The UFC Hawaii card is a challenge. Believe me, nobody would rather go to Hawaii than me and pull off an event. I would love to do it, it’s just been very challenging over the last however many years.”
Dana White also pushes back on Max Holloway going into enemy territory
For some fighters, being Dustin Poirier’s final opponent and making the walk in Louisiana would be a lose-lose situation.
Being the person who retires ‘The Diamond’ in front of his home fans is a difficult spot to be in but someone like Max Holloway is perfect for this.
‘Blessed’ is so respected and beloved by the fans that they aren’t going to be hostile to him even if they want Poirier to get his hand raised.
In response to whether he’ll owe Holloway one following UFC 318, Dana White disputed the idea that the former champion is being positioned as the bad guy.
“I don’t know if Max is going into enemy territory. Both of these guys are so beloved by everybody. This is one of those fights, you know is going to be a bada– fight and you’re bummed out that somebody has to lose it… I’ve never come across an MMA fan that didn’t love Max Holloway.”
