Welcome to today's edition of Sportskeeda MMA News Roundup! Dustin Poirier has shared exactly how he plans to shut the door on his legendary career as he prepares to headline UFC 318 in New Orleans against Max Holloway. Meanwhile, heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall put his toughness to the test in a different arena. Meanwhile, Holloway isn’t buying the hype around Ilia Topuria’s knockout streak. Let's break them all down:
Dustin Poirier reveals his UFC 318 strategy against Max Holloway
Dustin Poirier is studying timing, damage, and control as he prepares to take on Max Holloway for his final fight in the UFC. Fighting in his hometown, New Orleans, with the BMF title on the line, he’s focused on ending this journey with a signature win.
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Poirier recently broke down his plan for Holloway in the recent UFC 318 Countdown episode. He said:
"In my mind, I get his timing early. Beat him to the punch, beat him with shots that hurt him. Make him miss, make him pay by being better that night. He's a great fighter, but July 19, I'm better!"
Check out Dustin Poirier's comments below:
Tom Aspinall takes on Army fitness test
Tom Aspinall recently took on a full British Army fitness test with military coach Farren Morgan. The UFC heavyweight champion powered through carry drills, sandbag lifts, and endurance exercises, which have all been well-documented on his YouTube channel.
He looked out of place, even gassed at times. Fans flooded his Instagram with comments, calling him a “SAS soldier in disguise” and praising his humility for stepping out of his comfort zone.
Check out the Instagram post below:
Max Holloway questions Ilia Topuria’s KO streak
Ilia Topuria’s recent run looks historic on paper. He’s knocked out Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira in succession. But Holloway doesn’t think that tells the full story.
In a candid interview with SHAK MMA, Holloway admitted Topuria’s talent but pushed back on the GOAT talk. He pointed out that Volkanovski had just been knocked out by Islam Makhachev, and Oliveira was coming off a single win. He said:
"I mean, for sure, you know, you can't sleep on it, you know, but it's just tough, right? He has the names, right? He beat the names, and you can't deny that. ...When you look at that Volk fight, you know, with Volk coming off [the KO loss to Makhachev] of what he did, that's kind of crazy. But people just look at the name, they're not looking at the record."
He added:
"And then me, and then Charles did what he did. But Charles was only on a one-fight win streak, you know. So, at the end of the day, it's just moments, you know, and it's just names. It is one of the greatest names, for sure, that he beat in history. But the man is doing what he's supposed to do, you know. UFC are lining people up for him, and he's just knocking them down, you know. So fair play to him. He's going out there doing his job."
Check out Max Holloway's comments below (6:40):