Max Holloway wants to avoid a triplicate against Dustin Poirier on UFC 318 this weekend.
UFC 318 is going this Saturday, from New Orleans, Louisiana, all for the pension fight of the local legend and former UFC -Interim -Interim -light weight champion Dustin Poirier.
The last fight of Poirier is a trilogy against old rival and current BMF title holder Max Holloway.
Holloway has lost twice to Poirier, once through entry and the other by decision. Poirier spoiled the UFC debut of Holloway, as well as his 13-Fight win-streak in 2019. Now Holloway has the chance to take Poirier's pension fight for his home crowd.
How does Holloway get it done after a 0-2 start against Poirier?
A former UFC champion has drawn up Holloway's keys to victory against Poirier, one of the best boxers in the UFC, today.
Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Dominick Cruz says that Max Holloway Dustin Poirier can neutralize with stairs on UFC 318
Two-time UFC Bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz Brak Poirier versus Holloway 3 on ESPN MMA.
Cruz said what makes Poirier really dangerous, is his ability to reach his opponents and that is where he finds success in the boxing department.
Holloway was bloody by Poirier's punches in their lightweight fight in 2019.
Cruz thinks that the key from Holloway is to beat Poirier's stairs.
“Max Holloway is going to adjust to this,” said Cruz of the BMF champion.
“The #1 adjustment is starting with the hands, finish with the stairs because this man is deteriorating.
“Holloway is filthy, whole, very good stairs with a lot of skill.
“The way Max can beat Poirier boxing is by using his stairs and using its reach. This Teep Kick slips like a shot there.
“That is one of the things we have seen from Max. He went against Poirier's shots by going to the body. So, if Poirier would slide back, Max would go [to the body]and the adjustment comes [with a head kick]. “
Poirier's newest ko loss was via main kick to Justin Gaethje in 2023.
“I think we'll see some adjustments for Max with that sliding-back-hook, the tensile sequences, where he likes to pull you in your pocket and fight, and it is very accurate.
“I think this time we will see more stairs, more knees, more elbows and much more difficult from Max Holloway,” said Cruz.
Max Holloway broke the nose of Justin Gaethje with rotating stairs
Holloway raised style points in his last performance at lightweight.
Before he suffered the first knockout loss of his career to Ilia Topuria on UFC 309 in October, Holloway took the 'Ko of the century'-a buzzer-knocking interruption of Justin Gaethje on UFC 300.
Holloway scored great damage on the way to the knockout. In the last seconds of round 1 Time Holloway a rotating kick that connected beautifully to Gaethje's face and sent him over the Octagon.
The stairs broke Gaethje's nose and the fight was largely one -way traffic afterwards.