Important Highlights
- Max Holloway put on a masterclass and sent Dustin Poirier what he deserved.
- Paulo Costa looked sharp, remained aggressive, and called the cheem and shook the pot.
- Daniel Rodriguez vs Kevin Holland lived till the promotion, while fireworks “Fight of the Night”.
UFC Fight Main Event: Holloway and Poirier Put On a Show
If you like a good story in MMA, then this UFC Fight Main event was for you.
The five-round of fighting between Max Holove and Dustin Pierir was emotional, terrible and unforgettable.
In the first round, Holowway fired, leaving the Pourer twice using his trademark volume panches.
The urgency of Max was clear; He wanted to make a statement.
Poirier, though, stayed in it. He recovered quickly, landed some shots of his own, and even cut Holloway under the eye with a solid exchange in Round 2.
At one point, he nearly locked in a guillotine choke. Yes, the well-known “Jump the Gilly” moment returned! In Round 3, there was some concern about a scratch near Poirier’s eye.
But he decided to press on since he is a fighter. It was competitive in Round 4, but Holloway simply had a sharper appearance.
He never lost control, and his combinations were landing cleaner.
Then came Round 5 pure chaos. After a brief eye poke, both guys emptied the tank.
Holloway landed a few bombs in the final seconds that nearly put Poirier away.
But “The Diamond” survived, standing tall to hear the final horn of his career.
UFC showed a tribute video after the fight, and it honestly hit everyone right in the heart.
UFC Fight Co-Mains: Costa Dominates, Rodriguez Impresses, Pitbull Delivers
This UFC Fight card wasn’t just about the main event. Paulo Costa’s illness delayed his UFC 317 fight with Roman Kopylov, but he finally made it to the Octagon.
From the opening bell, Costa looked like a man on a mission. He outstruck Kopylov 41-11 in Round 1 alone and left him bloodied early.
Kopylov tried to fire back in Round 3, landing a decent shot but Costa ate it and kept moving forward. In the end, Costa took a unanimous decision win.
Meanwhile, Daniel Rodriguez and Kevin Holland gave us a fight worthy of “Fight of the Night.”
Both guys landed 32 significant strikes in Round 1. But in Round 2, Rodriguez dropped Holland with a stiff jab and controlled him on the ground.
His corner yelled at him to keep it standing, but Rodriguez trusted his instincts.
Holland made a big push in Round 3, swinging heavy. Still, Rodriguez recovered, took his back, and closed the show strong.
Another unanimous decision, and another win for D-Rod his third straight.
Patricio Pitbull also made a big splash, getting his first UFC win after falling short in his debut.
He controlled Dan Ige for most of the fight and didn’t let a strong knee from Ige in Round 3 throw him off.
It was a smart, disciplined performance from a guy who’s been in the game forever.
Michael Johnson Shows the Young Guns How It’s Done
Michael Johnson opened the main card with a point to prove.
He faced off against the younger Daniel Zellhuber and reminded everyone that experience still matters in this game.
Johnson remained technical, applied constant pressure, and prevented Zellhuber from establishing a rhythm.
When the final horn sounded, there wasn’t much doubt Johnson won by unanimous decision. After the fight, he told Daniel Cormier, “I served him some humble pie.” And honestly? He did.
