Max Holloway defeats Dustin Poirier at UFC 318, spoiling retirement plans

Dustin Poirier's career is illustrated by violence, honor, and perseverance. Poirier pushed the elite to the limit and only fell short against the very best. Poetically, he faced a similar fate on Saturday, pouring everything he had into a loss to Max Holloway at UFC 318.

\"The Diamond\" lived up to his name, hardening himself under incredible pressure. Holloway nearly crashed the party twice early, dropping Poirier in the first two rounds. But Poirier, unwilling to disappoint his Louisiana home base, roared back to life by dropping Holloway.

From there, the friendly rivals exchanged technical strikes over the remaining 15 minutes. Only in the last 10 seconds did Holloway and Poirier agree to throw caution to the wind and trade in the center of the cage. The judges' scorecards read 48-47, 49-46, and 49-46 in favor of the BMF champ, who rapper Lil Wayne wrapped the belt around.

Poirier did not win the fight but reinforced the respect he'd garnered from his opponent, the fans, and the wider mixed martial arts community.

\"It's been overwhelming,\" Poirier said of his retirement week. \"I feel appreciated. I feel seen. I never got to step outside of fighting and look at this this way… I didn't know I touched as many people by living my dreams. You touched my heart.\"

Holloway was arguably the most appropriate choice for Poirier's retirement fight. Holloway made his UFC debut against Poirier in 2012, and they fought for the interim lightweight title in 2019. By winning, Holloway redeemed his two prior losses to Poirier.

CBS Sports was with you the entire way on Saturday, bringing you all the results and highlights from UFC 318 below.