Islam Makhachev shares definitive prediction for Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier 3: "It will be technical" 

Islam Makhachev recently shared his thoughts on the Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier trilogy fight at UFC 318 this weekend. The fight will notably mark the Louisiana native's final walk down to the octagon and will be contested for the symbolic BMF championship.

Poirier challenged Makhachev for the lightweight title at UFC 302 last June. While 'The Diamond' gave it his all, Makhachev managed to submit him in the fifth round. Despite their rivalry, it appears they're close friends and have kept in touch since their fight.

In a recent interview, Makhachev shared his prediction for the Holloway-Poirier showdown and backed his former rival to emerge victorious. When asked if he's rooting for Poirier, Makhachev replied:

"100%. He's my guy, I will root for him. We text each other a lot. And this is his last fight, I think he will come out at his peak. I wish him luck, and I think he will win. Yes, I think a decision win. It's hard to finish both of them. They can take a punch as well. Neither of them has a powerful knockout punch, but they hit accurately... I think it will be technical."

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Dustin Poirier gets honest about Islam Makhachev's chances at welterweight

Dustin Poirier recently spoke about Islam Makhachev moving up to welterweight and competing at a higher weight class. Poirier expects Makhachev to win a potential title fight against Jack Della Maddalena and fit into the 170-pound division easily.

During a UFC 318 media day interview, Poirier broke down Makhachev's chances at welterweight and said:

''[Makhachev's] a big guy. I think he's going to fill into that weight. He's a really big 155er. So I think his lifestyle outside of training camp is going to be a little more comfortable, and he'll fit into that weight class, no problem. He could be champion there for sure.''

He continued:

''I think the beginning of fight is going to tell the story. How well [Jack Della Maddalena] does at getting up, how well JDM does at keeping Islam off of his feet, off of his legs, off of the cage. It's tough to call that because JDM is a big guy, athletic. I'm excited about that. A lot of fun fights in the future.''

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Edited by Nishant Zende.