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#5. Max Holloway (20-3) vs. Dustin Poirier (24-5-0-1) (Interim Lightweight Championship)
Dustin Poirier holds the distinction of handing Max Holloway his first professional MMA loss. However, that fight happened in 2012 and Holloway has since grown to become one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet.
Holloway was on a 13-fight win streak and looked for retribution. The Diamond was on a 5-fight win streak and had his eyes set on winning the elusive gold. The stage was set for a classic and that is exactly what the fans witnessed.
Round 1: Dustin began with an oblique kick to the body followed by a leg kick. Holloway looked to read Poirier's movements in the early goings of the fight.
Poirier was in no mood to play safe and came in to finish things up early. He rocked Holloway with a straight left hand. The champ was ROCKED!
Dustin took the fight to Holloway. He landed bombs and connected with nearly 50 significant strikes all throughout the round. Holloway displayed some insane resiliency to stay in the fight. He didn't even go down to the mat. Holloway can't be a human being right?
While Holloway did try to assume control with short bursts of energy, it was Dustin all along in the first round.
10-8 Poirier
Round 2: Poirier was more sluggish in the second round as it seemed like he may have emptied his gas tank in the first round.
Holloway did well in the first three minutes of the second round but Dustin pulled it back right at the end. Poirier got in a four-piece combo and Holloway looked stunned again. However, he avoided going to the mat again. The action shifted near the fence as Poirier pushed him back.
Poirier connected with a right hook and sent Holloway to the center of the cage to end the round.
10-9 Poirier
Round 3: Holloway needed to get something significant going for himself as he was lagging on the scorecard.
Holloway strung together a few combinations but it didn't have the same pop as Dustin's. There were no dull moments as both men stood toe-to-toe and matched each other strike-for-strike.
The only difference was that Poirier's strikes had more sting in them while Holloway just kept getting in the volume. It worked for the Featherweight Champion though, as he edged Poirier on the scorecards. He hurt Holloway in the end, which forced Dustin to tie up near the fence.
Holloway looked for a finish with a few combinations followed by a flying knee. However, Dustin caught hold of his legs and held on until the end of the round. Holloway kept himself busy with some nice Travis Browne-inspired elbows.
Holloway had absorbed 125 strikes to the head going into the fourth round.
10-9 Holloway
Round 4: Holloway's cardio came to the fore in the fourth round. Poirier was exhausted but Dustin kept pressing forward. The exhaustion was partly because Dustin spent a good minute trying to assert himself on the ground in the first few minutes of the fourth round.
Holloway pushed Poirier into the cage and got his combinations going. He got the body shots in but Poirier, who had recovered by now, responded with hard rights and a 3-2.
Poirier opened up Holloway with a clean knee in the clinch to his forehead. Holloway wasn't going down though as he pressed forward and tagged Poirier with a combination. Poirier shot for the takedown, Holloway defended and attempted a rolling front choke.
10-9 Holloway
Round 5: Leg kick from Dustin and a nice jab from Holloway to begin the fifth and final round. While the intensity didn't match the previous rounds, it was still a war of attrition between two rivals.
Holloway found his range and landed with straights, jabs and body shots. Poirier shot for the single leg but Holloway defended well and got pushed into the fence. Poirier kept pushing for a takedown as there were just 30 seconds left on the clock.
The fans gave them a standing ovation as the two fatigued warriors stood and threw tiring bombs at each other in the final ten seconds.
Result: Dustin Poirier def. Max Holloway via Unanimous Decision (49-36, 48-46, 49-46)
If there were two men who could have followed up the incredible co-main event, it had to be these two men. Poirier and Holloway put it all on the line in a contest that had a deserved winner at the sound of the final bell.
Poirier was the superior man on the night and is the only man to have beaten Holloway twice, and at two different weight classes.
Most importantly, Poirier is now an interim UFC Champion and will take on Khabib Nurmagomedov for the undisputed Lightweight title. We just can't wait!
As for Holloway, he is still the king of the 145lbs division and looked great despite the loss. He just saw his 13-fight win streak get snapped by a highly motivated Poirier.
Which was your favorite fight of the night? Sound off in the comments section below
