Dustin Poirier hopes to end the career in front of the Home -Crowd at UFC 318 with a high home amount

New Orleans (AP) – Dustin Poirier, who comes from Louisiana, will fight in Octagon one last time and this time it will be again in the state of Bayou.

Poirier will take over on Saturday evening in the headline slaughterhouse of UFC 318 in the Smoothie King Center against Max Holloway for the UFC BMF title.

UFC 318 has five main ticket fights and 14 overall fights, since martial arts return to New Orleans for the first time since 2015.

Poirier (30-9), born in Lafayette, announced in April that his fight against Holloway (26-8) will be the last of his career and he plans to retire after the game.

“It's a little surreal,” said Poirier. “All pressure and obligations are still there and still think of all the combat material in my head. From time to time it crept into the back of the head that this is the last time I do it.

“I don't come from a place with a silver spoon and a lot of money. All fights that I had all over the world cannot go. To be at home (for this last fight), in which people get into their car and drive to New Orleans to fight people who have never fought me before, is very special.”

The Holloway Poirier main event is the third time that the two are easier. Poirier won the first two fights, submitted Holloway in the first round in 2012 and won a unanimous decision in 2019.

“I expect another war,” said Poirier. “This is a trilogy of 13 years. Every fight was so different. Max is a legend and has done incredible things in his career. It seems poetic. I was poetic. I was his debut in the UFC and he is my last fight.

The 36-year-old Poirier said that he would go into battle in the best form of his career.

“I'm completely sober for 90 days; no alcohol and no marijuana,” he said. “For four or five months I have eaten with only meat and berries and a little vegetables here and there. I am in the best form. This is the easiest that I have ever appeared against the week. I did everything right.”

Despite the fights in front of the hometown and the defeat of Holloway in their previous two games, Poirier, according to BetmGM, joins the fight as A -+110 outsiders.

Holloway, who was recovered from a knockout loss in the first round against Ilia Topuria last October, defends his BMF title belt for the first time.

“We both know what is at stake,” said Holloway. “I am here to play spoilers in this fight.

“I was 4-0 when I fought him for the first time, and I had the second time when I fought him. He did me dirty, so I think I had to make him dirty in his retirement. I can't wait to go out there and show everyone what we are working on.”

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