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UFC confirms 'meh' UFC 318 retirement card for Dustin Poirier

Mathew Riddle|
Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

UFC 318 isn't looking so hot. The Louisiana-based PPV is set to mark the retirement of Dustin Poirier.

'The Diamond' ends his UFC run in a trilogy fight with perennial rival Max Holloway. Despite being 2-0 in this saga, Poirier is expected to face a stiff test, as a renewed Holloway couldn't have looked any better in his last lightweight contest, where he knocked out Justin Gaethje.

As for the main card, UFC confirmed the lineup during the UFC 317 broadcast last Saturday, drawing a collective 'meh' from fight fans.

Islam Makhachev punching Dustin Poirie
Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

UFC 318 main card gets negative reaction from fight fans

As per the promotion, UFC 318's main card will consist of five fights.

Dan Ige vs. Patricio Pitbull will serve as the co-main event. Ige is 2-3 in his last five, and Pitbull lost his debut in April. Unranked contenders Ateba Gautier and Robert Valentin occupy the middle of the card, and while Gautier is a promising fighter, it's not the name appeal fans were hoping for.

Aside from this we have the rebooked Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov matchup, and UFC veteran Michael Johnson looking to make it three wins in a row against Daniel Zellhuber.

According to a poll on X, 79.1-percent of 11,327 voting fans scored the main card 'eh.' With 15.1 percent saying 'decent.'

"Poirier deserves better than this," One fan wrote.

"What Fight Night is this," Another joked.

"Most skippable card of the year," One user commented.

As it stands, UFC 318 might be one of the weakest numbered UFC events of the year. Although, UFC 315 could give it a run for its money.

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Mathew Riddle
MATHEW RIDDLE

Mathew is a UK-based combat sports journalist, graphic designer, and SEO expert with half a decade of digital marketing and a dedicated four-year track record in MMA journalism. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023. Mathew's insights have been featured on Bloody Elbow, The Fight Fanatic, and Heavy on UFC. He runs Warrior Tribune and can be contacted by his Muckrack profile.

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