So, it’s about to happen, next week. It’s not the first time we see this matchup, but this time will hit us different, in our emotion. The end of journey for Poirier, he will definitely retire after this big one. The end of the rivalry that over one decade between him and Max Holloway, all start from the beginning. Left with mixed up emotions: love, hate, hurt, happy, etc.

Just a few months ago, when I grabbed my phone, started scrolling Instagram like morning maniac: MMA news, girls stalking, celebrity posts, traveling vibes, food tours, hard dance gangs,… then a post slapped me right across the face and keep me awake in the morning without any caffeine charge:

DUSTIN POIRIER vs MAX HOLLOWAY III — for the BMF title

So this is the last dance, not with anybody else but Max. Why’s him?

After Poirier’s tough loss to Islam Makhachev, he made it clear: the next one would be his final ride—and he wanted it to be against a legend. Fans started buzzing some potential names: Topuria, Gaethje, Chandler, Holloway… But deep down, I knew. It had to be Max.

Max is the only guy who can match Dustin’s vibes: heart, history, and high-volume violence. And now, with Max holding the BMF belt? It’s legacy vs legacy. Gold vs glory. And a final shot at gold for Poirier, who’s never won undisputed UFC gold (not even once except the interim), but whose legacy already shines brighter than most who have. What a dream come true. Even UFC has just released the fight promo look like a trailer to the next Marvel movie:

Yeah, the fight is going to be epic. And I can’t wait to see it. But it also got me heartbreak to know one of them will walk away the cage with an loss, and if it’s Poirier, then his last chapter inside that cage will be a sad ending story.

As a fan of both The Diamond and The Blessed, I write this post to celebrate the history these two have built. It might read a little like a novel, I can’t help myself 😂 I’m so excited to see both guys once again, but I’ll keep it as tight as I can. Let’s split it into two parts. You’re reading Part 1.

Anyway, let’s dive into the history these two have built together!

🎞️ Chapter 1: The First Cut

For those who might not know, Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway have been crossing paths for over a decade. Their first encounter? UFC 143, February 2012. Max, just 20 years old, made his UFC debut – looking like he hadn’t even hit puberty yet, standing across from a hungry 23 year old Dustin Poirier, already making waves in the featherweight division.

And here’s the kicker: Max wasn’t even supposed to be there. He was a late replacement for Ricardo Lamas, who pulled out days before the fight. So you’ve got this fresh-faced, green-as-grass Holloway stepping in last minute to scrap with a soon-to-be one of the most favorite fighter in the game, actually two, including himself.

Despite the odds, Max didn’t look totally out of place. He flashed glimpses of that slick striking style he’d later master. But like most rookies jumping in on short notice, he made one slip, and Poirier made him pay. In the first round, after a scramble, Dustin locked in a nasty triangle-armbar. Tap, tap, boom. Fight over.

Max’s debut ended in a loss. Tough start, sure. But it wasn’t the end. Not even close. That fight was the spark that lit two legendary paths. For Poirier, it was a step forward in his climb. For Holloway, it was a crash course in the fight game. A loss on the record, but a win for future greatness.

So yeah, Max took the L. But anyone watching could tell: “this kid had something to say”. That was just the opening chapter in what would become one of the UFC’s most iconic rivalries.

🚀 Chapter 2: Diverging Journeys – The Rise of Max Holloway

After that debut loss, Max Holloway didn’t fold, he slowly built up “The Blessed”.

He started stringing together wins: Pat Schilling, Justin Lawrence, Leonard Garcia, and began climbing the featherweight ladder. Then came back-to-back losses to Dennis Bermudez and a young Conor McGregor. Another rough patch. But real fighters don’t break. Max bounced back like a champ in the making.

He went on a tear, picking up win after win, until he earned a shot at the interim belt against Anthony Pettis, and delivered. Then came his defining moment: a TKO victory over the legend José Aldo for the undisputed title. And just to prove it wasn’t a fluke? He ran it back and stopped Aldo again. Twice. In brutal fashion. That was the end of the King of Rio’s era and the birth of The Blessed Era.

Max extended his win streak to 13 and absolutely dismantled Brian Ortega, making the undefeated contender’s face look like a Picasso painting with a dominant level beatdown. The hype was clear: the kid who got subbed in his debut was now living rent-free in the heads of everyone in the division. Including me.

Now, here’s what makes Max special: he doesn’t hit like a truck. You won’t see him starch guys like Conor, Gaethje, or Poirier. They call it “pillow hands”, sure. But be nice to those hands, Holloway makes up for it with ridiculous cardio, volume, pace, and accuracy. He doesn’t drown you in power – he drowns you in output. And that chin? Diamond-level durability. Nobody could crack it – well, until Topuria came along.

💎 Chapter 3: Forged in Fire – Dustin Poirier’s Long Road to Glory

Before Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier ever became a household name, he was already grinding. He kicked off his pro career in 2009 at just 20 years old, making noise in WEC, the UFC’s scrappy little brother, before officially stepping into the UFC Octagon on January 1, 2011, as WEC merged into UFC, and this is where he snagged a win over Josh Grispi at UFC 125. No warm-up fights. No easy road. Just vibes and violence.

Then came UFC 143. We already know what happened there, he submitted a baby-faced Max Holloway in the first round, extended his win streak to five, and bagged his first performance bonus. That win set him up for his first main event: a banger against The Korean Zombie, Chan Sung Jung. He lost that one, caught in a slick D’Arce choke – but it was another Fight of the Night. Even in defeat, Dustin delivered.

From there, it was the classic climb with a few speed bumps. Poirier bounced back with wins, dropped one to Cub Swanson, then met a brash, big mouth Irishman named Conor McGregor. And that loss? That one stung. A first-round TKO that left a scar, not just on the record, but on his soul.

Something had to change. That featherweight cut? Pure torture. The weight? Unbearable. Mentally? He was cooked.
So he made the move that changed his whole career: he moved up.

He packed up and moved to lightweight. New division. New mindset. New Dustin. But he wasn’t just changing weight classes, he was rewriting his legacy. At American Top Team, he retooled everything. Better gas tank. Sharper grappling. Cleaner striking. But the real glow-up? His mindset. He didn’t lose that Louisiana grit, he just learned how to wield it like a weapon.

Then came the bloodbaths.

First, Carlos Diego Ferreira, Yancy Medeiros. Then Joe Duffy. All W’s. But those were just appetizers.

Next up: Eddie Alvarez. Former UFC lightweight champion. That fight was straight-up chaos – illegal knees, no contest, beef. But when they ran it back, Dustin dropped the drama and served violence: TKO, clean and cold.

Then it was Justin Gaethje. The leg kick merchant. A walking car crash. And Dustin still stood tall. Ate the pain. Dished it back. KO in the 4th. Fight of the Year vibes.

And you can’t forget the Pettis fight, another ex-champ, another TKO with Pettis got injure. Dustin didn’t just beat these guys, he also broke them.

It all led to the moment of truth: a title shot that he’s deserved.

🥇 Chapter 4: UFC 236 – The Interim War for Lightweight Gold

Alright, this was the moment. Not just another fight – this was title time. So why wasn’t it for the undisputed belt? Good question. Let’s rewind for a sec.

Khabib Nurmagomedov was the reigning lightweight king. He mauled Conor McGregor at UFC 229 in October 2018 and left zero doubts about who ruled 155.

But after that fight? Chaos. You remember the scene: Khabib leaped outta the cage like he was the eagle hunting the prey, straight into Conor’s team, you know who he is after :)). All hell broke loose. 👀

The result? Khabib got hit with a 9-month suspension and a fat fine from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
👉 Translation: Khabib was on ice for most of 2019.

And the UFC? They don’t like that, holding up belts for almost a year is the latest thing on earth they would do. So they set up an interim title bout to keep the division moving, and boom, UFC 236: Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway, April 2019.

No more prelims. No more “prospect vs. prospect”. This was the main event. And it wasn’t just about gold only, it was about legacy. Yes, and they will meet again and close that legacy with a showdown just in next week, make sure to set the alarm!

Max came in riding high. The king of the featherweights, fresh off ending the Aldo era twice, dismantling Brian Ortega, and looking basically untouchable at 145. But now he was moving up in weight, aiming to become a champ-champ.

Dustin? He’d been through wars: Gaethje, Alvarez, Pettis. He wasn’t just surviving at lightweight, he was thriving. This was his moment. His redemption arc. His “Paid in Full” title shot.

And here it go… the fight delivered.

No early tap-outs this time. No quick finishes. Just pure, unfiltered violence for five whole rounds. It was fireworks from the first bell to the final one, easy Fight of the Night. Holloway brought the pressure and volume like a buzzsaw. Poirier brought that Louisiana power and surgical counters. It felt like watching two tanks in a dogfight – relentless, technical, savage.

Round after round, Max poured it on but Dustin cracked back with bombs that made the crowd wince. It wasn’t just a fight. It was a test of willpower. Heart vs. Heart.

In the end? Poirier took it. Unanimous decision. Interim champ. Career-defining W.

But let’s be clear, Max didn’t lose stock. Not even a little. He showed he could hang with the top dogs at 155, eat higher weight-level punches, and never back down. His gas tank, his chin, his spirit? Unreal.

Dustin got the gold. Max got the world’s respect. A Win-Win for both.

It was the second chapter in their rivalry, but it felt like two champions, standing across from each other, elevating the game. No bad blood. Just greatness.

Two absolute dogs went to war, but only one walked away with gold. For Max, it was the second time Dustin had blocked his rise. For Dustin, it was a long-awaited coronation.

But this story? Yeah, it wasn’t over yet.

→ Read Part 2: Digging Down Dustin Poirier versus Max Holloway Rivalry

Until next time!