Max Holloway comes clean on being sidelined for rest of 2025 after Dustin Poirier win at UFC 318: "I already met with the doctor"

After a year of soaring highs and crushing lows in 2024, Max Holloway got things back on track with a spectacular unanimous decision win over Dustin Poirier at UFC 318. However, it seems the clinical performance has sidelined him for the rest of the year.

UFC 318 marked Poirier's MMA swansong. As such, 'The Diamond' was ever the more prepared and motivated to go out on a winning note.

However, Holloway had motivations of his own. Having already gone 0-2 against the Louisiana native, 'Blessed' was eager to get his lick back, and possibly earn a lightweight title shot in the process.

As the closing bell rang, the judges awarded Holloway a unanimous decision win. Despite winning comfortably on the scorecards, the fight was anything but an easy one.

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While Holloway scored two knockdowns over his rival, he was also stunned at times and dropped once during the fight. Moreover, the punches he landed on Poirier appear to have injured the former featherweight champion's hand.

In a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Holloway revealed that it would be unlikely that he returns to fighting this year:

"He [Poirier] lived up to his nickname 'The Diamond'. Talking about him being strong like a diamond, I mean, my right hand still hurts. Big a** head, you know what I mean... I see a lot of people talking about who is next. There are a lot of fun fights, as I said, for me at [1]55... but if you have hopes of me fighting before the end of the year, probably not going to happen. I see a specialist sometime this week, and I already met with the doctor and now I have to meet a specialist, but things are not looking too up of me fighting one more time this year."

Check out Max Holloway's comments below:

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Dana White interested in Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway 2

Max Holloway's win against Dustin Poirier at UFC 318 puts him in an interesting spot in the lightweight division. The man he lost to in his most recent featherweight title fight, Ilia Topuria, is currently the lightweight champion of the world.

During his post-fight interview at the Smoothie King Center, 'Blessed' wasted no time in calling out 'El Matador' for a rematch. Interestingly, Dana White is all in favor of the idea. Addressing the media at the pay-per-view's post-fight press conference, he said:

"I think he [Holloway] is in a great position right now [to get that rematch]. He just defends the BMF title, he is ranked No.4 in the world there [at lightweight] and anything is possible for Max right now."

Check out Dana White's comments on the potential Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway 2 below:

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Edited by Ujwal Jain