Ranked lightweight fighters meet as fifth-ranked Max Holloway faces sixth-ranked Dustin Poirier at UFC 318: Holloway vs. Poirier 3 this Saturday. The action kicks off at 10 p.m. ET at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. This matchup marks their third meeting, the first since 2019. In their previous confrontations, Poirier emerged victorious by submission at UFC 143 on February 4, 2012, and again by decision at UFC 236 on April 13, 2019.
Holloway is the favorite at -148 (risk $148 to win $100), while Poirier, who announced his retirement post-fight, is the underdog at +124 according to the latest odds from DraftKings Sportsbook. The preferred outcome for Holloway appears to be winning by decision (+140). In the co-main event, Roman Kopylov is the -218 favorite against Paulo Costa (+180) in a middleweight clash.
Before making any bets on UFC 318: Holloway vs. Poirier, check out the predictions and advice from SportsLine expert Daniel Vithlani. Vithlani is known for his analytical approach and has garnered a reputation for success, up over $1,500 on his UFC main card picks since his debut in January 2023 with a perfect 5-0 record for UFC 283.
Holloway is 33 years old and the current UFC BMF champion, having previously held the UFC featherweight title. He recently suffered a knockout loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 308 for the featherweight championship. Prior to that, he secured the BMF title and received Performance of the Night honors by knocking out Justin Gaethje in April 2024.
Poirier, 36, a former interim UFC lightweight champion, has attempted to capture the UFC lightweight title three times along with a BMF title shot. He began his career with a knockout win back in May 2009 and has a professional record of 30-9-1 ahead of this match.
Holloway vs. Poirier 3 Predictions
Vithlani has a strong inclination towards Francisco Prado (-130) to defeat Nikolay Veretennikov (+110) in a welterweight match. He highlighted Prado as a smaller yet more dangerous striker, despite a rough start in his UFC career.
For updated predictions and specifics on the fight card for UFC 318: Holloway vs. Poirier, visit SportsLine for expert analysis and betting advice.
