Dustin Poirier won’t be stepping into the ring alone for his final UFC match. He will be supported by Lil Wayne, the five-time Grammy Award-winning artist from Louisiana, for his retirement bout at UFC 318 against Max Holloway. Poirier, who resides in Lafayette, plans to make his last appearance in his home state on July 19. He has communicated with Wayne’s team, which confirmed that Wayne intends to accompany him to the Smoothie King Center.

“As of right now, his guy, Mack Maine, said he’s in,” Poirier said._ (Translation: Poirier affirmed that Wayne’s manager has indicated that Wayne is on board with the plan.)

Maine, a long-time collaborator with Wayne, was appointed president of Young Money Entertainment, the record label founded by Wayne, in 2009.

Poirier will meet Holloway again; they have clashed twice before in their careers. Poirier made Holloway submit during the latter’s unexpected UFC debut in 2012. Seven years later, Holloway, then the featherweight champion, was defeated by Poirier in a decision for the interim lightweight title. In this upcoming fight, Poirier aims to regain the ceremonial BMF title he lost to Justin Gaethje, who subsequently relinquished it to Holloway.

“I’m going to lay my gloves down in Louisiana, where it all started for me. The journey started there,” Poirier expressed in April. _ (Translation: Poirier emphasized the significance of fighting in his home state for his final bout.)_ “Max is a legend. I said legends only. I couldn’t think of a better guy to fight in my retirement fight. I was his first fight in the UFC in 2012, and he’ll be my last fight in the UFC.”