Max Holloway recently reflected on his highly anticipated UFC 318 bout against Dustin Poirier, which saw him successfully defend the BMF title for the first time in promotional history. The fight was part of a trilogy spanning over 13 years and marked ‘Blessed’ status as the first fighter to successfully defend the title.
During the five-round contest, Holloway dropped Poirier with a combination and attempted to finish him off in the opening round. However, fans online claimed that Holloway “pulled back” on Poirier, suggesting he didn’t try to finish him after dropping him. In response, Holloway addressed these claims in a video on his YouTube channel.
“I hit him and I’m like, oh my god we’re getting out of here in one round,” Holloway said. “Dustin is strong as nails, his name is the diamond for a reason.” Holloway emphasized that he kept hitting Poirier but couldn’t finish him due to the fighter’s toughness.
Despite coming out of the fight relatively unscathed, Holloway revealed that he will be sidelined for some time due to a severe hand injury suffered during the contest. The injury forced ‘Blessed’ to rule out competing before the end of the year, potentially missing out on bouts against Ilia Topuria or Charles Oliveira.
Source: https://bloodyelbow.com/2025/08/02/max-holloway-responds-to-claims-that-he-pulled-back-against-dustin-poirier-there-are-people-talking-madness