UFC Fights – Max Holloway vs. Poirier for Interim Lightweight Title

It’s finally official, the current lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagonedov will be watching from the sidelines as Max Holloway, and Dustin Poirier steps into the octagon to fight for the interim lightweight champion title in April.

It’s now been a long time coming as a seemingly endless problem come with Khabib’s suspension after the UFC229 brawl back in 2018. In January he was offered a nine month suspension for his part. This could’ve been just six months of he made an anti-bully post, but instead, Khabib put himself out for 12 months along with his teammates.

Last month, Dana White said he cannot sit out for the year and keep hold of the belt. Even with that threat, Khabib refuses to return until his teammates are able to fight as well.
While Khabib fans might be disappointed with the news, those hoping Tony Ferguson would step up to the fight might be even more let down as the fighter declines the opportunity to grab hold of the interim title. At the same time, Ferguson has good reason for taking himself out as he as his team have been working hard and pushing new limits to take the real title.
Therefore, Ferguson isn’t interested in the interim fight but rather wants to take on Khabib for the actual title. At the same time, we might not see Ferguson fight much in the year ahead either as he wants for Khabib to return and accept the fight.

Holloway vs. Poirier – Prediction

Those who had the pleasure of watching the first Holloway vs. Poirier fight back in 2012 might remember how Dustin managed to win the fight in the third round by making Holloway tap out with a submission. Dustin managed to get a hold of Holloway’s arm twice during the third round and almost broke it just before Holloway managed to turn things around and get out of the grip. However, it wasn’t long before Dustin once again got hold of the same arm, this time gripping it in a way that gave Holloway no way out. At the verge of having his arm broken, Holloway tapped out, giving the Victory to Poirier.

It’s been almost seven years since that fight, and a lot could have changed in the meantime. Yet most are still looking at Holloway as the champ, even though he lost. There’s no doubt that the odds are against Holloway, especially considering that fact that Dustin completed more fights, has a better record and won the first fight these two were involved with.
By no means should you think that Holloway doesn’t have what it takes. In fact, he also presents an impressive record and has shown incredible fighting ability in the last few years, including the current featherweight titleholder, which should tell you more than you need.

At the end of the day, it’s going to be another amazing fight, and the fans might just be split equally, making it even more interesting.