UFC Last Night: Full Results, Viral Knockout Highlight & What’s Next for the Champs

Max Holloway handed Dustin Poirier a heartbreaking but heroic send-off in the main event of UFC 318 last night in New Orleans, out-striking “The Diamond” across five frenetic rounds to retain the BMF belt by unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46 x2). Poirier, fighting for the final time, removed his gloves in the Octagon after the bout, thanking fans in an emotional retirement moment that drew a roar from the Smoothie King Center crowd. Holloway vs. Poirier 3 lived up to its trilogy hype. The former featherweight king mixed vintage volume with punishing body work, landing 198 of 375 significant strikes and scoring a late knockdown to seal the verdict. Poirier’s trademark boxing and pocket pressure produced a knockdown of his own in round 2, but the Louisiana native couldn’t match Holloway’s pace down the stretch. The Hawaiian’s victory extends his win streak to four and solidifies his place among the lightweight elite. Co-main event: Paulo Costa returned to form, using thudding leg kicks and forward pressure to shut out Russia’s Roman Kopylov (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) in a pivotal middleweight clash. Costa called for a title eliminator next, eyeing the winner of Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2. Main-card highlights • Daniel Rodriguez spoiled Kevin Holland’s welterweight homecoming, edging a razor-close unanimous decision (29-28 on all three cards) after rocking “Trailblazer” with a late left hand and controlling clinch exchanges. • Former Bellator champ Patricio “Pitbull” Freire made a successful UFC debut, upsetting Dan Ige by unanimous decision and immediately asking for a top-10 featherweight opponent. • Veteran Michael Johnson turned back Mexican prospect Daniel Zellhuber, sweeping the scorecards behind clean southpaw boxing. Prelim fireworks Cameroonian newcomer Ateba Gautier needed just 70 seconds to starch Robert Valentin with a right hand, announcing himself as a middleweight to watch. At women’s flyweight, Carli Judice blasted Nicolle Caliari with a third-round flying knee, a knockout likely to feature on year-end highlight reels. Long-time contender Marvin Vettori also rebounded, wrestling past Brendan Allen via dominant decision. Performance bonuses (unofficial) – with highlight finishes from Gautier, Judice and light heavyweight Jimmy Crute’s slick first-round armbar, expect the $50k checks to flow in that direction when Dana White makes the call. What’s next? • Max Holloway: With Islam Makhachev booked and Charles Oliveira tied to Topuria, a lightweight title shot is complicated. A fan-friendly BMF defense against Justin Gaethje or the winner of Chandler vs. McGregor could headline UFC 320. • Dustin Poirier: Retirement appears set, but if the competitive fire returns, a ceremonial fight week in Lafayette would be a fitting farewell. • Paulo Costa: A five-round showdown with former champ Israel Adesanya or a No. 1-contender tilt against Jared Cannonier makes rankings sense. Search-friendly takeaways • UFC 318 full results and fight bonuses • Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier 3 trilogy recap • Who won the UFC fights last night? • New Orleans fight card highlights, retirements and next-fight projections With dramatic finishes, a retiring legend and a BMF classic, UFC 318 gave fans exactly the action they Googled for this morning—and set the table for a blockbuster fall schedule.