Dustin Poirier thinks Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway 2 could play a little differently.
BMF champion Max Holloway is in a 'great place' after his unanimous decision victory over the now retired Dustin Poirier on UFC 318 last weekend. That is what UFC CEO Dana White said during the press conference after the fight when he was asked where Holloway is in the lightweight title photo.
Ilia Topuria, the first man to eliminate Holloway in 35 fights, is the new champion after stopping Charles Oliveira with punches on UFC 317 in June.
Holloway and Topuria had a competitive fight at featherweight (145 pounds) to the KO and if UFC 318 has taught us something, it is that Holloway still has a chin on him after five rounds with Poirier on 155 pounds.
Yet Poirier says that Holloway is full of the champion Topuria.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Dustin Poirier says that Max Holloway should change, approach versus Ilia Topuria
Poirier spoke with Mike Bohn after his pension fight against Holloway, weighed a potential rematch between Holloway and Topuria in lightweight and expressed some concern about his former enemy.
“I think Max should change his approach to the fight,” said Poirier.
“Use his lateral footwork as he did with me, stay on the bike, use his height …
“But, man, when Ilia lands on someone from 145 to 170, when he lands clean, I think he will put boys out,” Poirier said about the power of Topuria.
“Maybe Max has a little more sustainability at 55,” Poirier suggested.
“Coming in a little healthier, a little more hydrated on fighting evening. Maybe that could play a bit in him, making the shots, but we'll see.”
Dustin Poirier was the second UFC hunter who dropped Max Holloway (officially)
Topuria defeated Poirier to the blow when it came to dropping the ordinary opponent Max Holloway.
Holloway, known for his legendary chin, had never been beaten before last year. But Topuria changed that on UFC 308 when he surprised Holloway with bumps and finished the fight with a left hook.
According to the UFC statistics, this was the first recorded knock -down on Holloway -so that would make Poirier the second hunter to officially drop Holloway. Poirier settled in the second round of their BMF title fight and immediately tried a Guillotine entry.
There is a debate about Gaethje as the first hunter that Holloway brought down when he dropped him with a blow in the fourth round at UFC 300. Unfortunately for Gaethje it was not ruled on a knock -down on the UFC statistics, despite the fact that Holloway itself says it was a knockdown.