UFC 318 bonuses and aftermath: Dustin Poirier's swansong breaks arena record, Brendan Allen and others win $50K, Max Holloway equals UFC record

The UFC recently hosted its eighth pay-per-view event of the year, UFC 318, this past Saturday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. Out of the 14 fights on the card, six ended in finishes, while the remaining eight went the distance.

Reigning BMF champion Max Holloway defended his belt against Dustin Poirier in the main event. Notably, it was their third meeting inside the octagon, marking Poirier's final MMA appearance.

In the co-main event, former one-time middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa squared off against Roman Kopylov.

Fight of the Night: Marvin Vettori vs. Brendan Allen

Marvin Vettori faced Brendan Allen in a middleweight bout on the prelims of UFC 318. Both fighters were coming off two-fight skids. Allen, competing in front of his home crowd, secured a unanimous decision win after three rounds of intense action.

As a result of their strong performances, both Vettori and Allen earned Fight of the Night honors and took home a $50,000 bonus each.

Performance of the Night: Ateba Gautier, Islam Dulatov and Carli Judice

Ateba Gautier, Islam Dulatov, and Carli Judice's performances against Robert Valentin, Adam Fugitt, and Nicolle Caliari, respectively, won them the Performance of the Night honors, earning an additional $50,000 bonus each.

UFC 318 aftermath

Max Holloway spoiled the evening for Dustin Poirier by winning their trilogy fight via unanimous decision. According to Dana White's remarks at the post-fight press conference, the event attracted an attendance of 18,138 fans and generated a record-breaking gate of $8,088,122, the highest ever at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.

Holloway is now tied for the most UFC wins (23) with Donald Cerrone, Andrei Arlovski, and former lightweight kingpin Charles Oliveira.

About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

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