Jul 19, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, UNITED STATES; Max Holloway (red gloves) shakes hands with Dustin Poirier (blue gloves) during UFC 318 at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

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UFC 318 Main Card Results- BMF Max Holloway Spoils Poirier Retirement fight, Paulo Costa Back To Winning Ways, Jimmy Crute And Islam Dulatov Pull Off Impressive Wins

UFC 318 Results: Get to know who rose, who fell, and what it means for the UFC divisions as contenders emerge!

New Orleans was supposed to be Dustin Poirier’s perfect farewell party. The hometown hero had everything lined up for a storybook ending to his legendary career. Fans packed the Smoothie King Center expecting to witness history in the making. Instead, they got a harsh reminder that fairy tales don’t always come true. Sometimes the most deserving fighters don’t get their Hollywood moment, no matter how much everyone wants it to happen.

UFC 318 delivered from top to bottom with a card stacked full of action and surprises. The event showcased everything great about this sport: heart, skill, drama, and those moments that make you jump out of your seat. From devastating knockouts on the early prelims to emotional farewells on the main card, fight fans got their money’s worth in Louisiana. The night proved once again that no one can predict what will happen when the octagon door closes and two fighters start throwing hands.

UFC 318 Main Card Results

Max Holloway made sure Dustin Poirier’s retirement party didn’t go according to plan in the main event. The Hawaiian warrior successfully defended his BMF title with a dominant unanimous decision victory. Holloway started fast and never let up, using his signature volume striking to overwhelm the hometown favorite. Poirier showed his legendary heart and landed some big shots, especially in the second round that had the crowd on their feet. But Holloway’s relentless pace and variety proved too much over five hard rounds.

KEEPING HIS BELT 💪@BlessedMMA earns the UD victory tonight in enemy territory!

[ #UFC318 ] pic.twitter.com/lJlBTpYOWU
— UFC (@ufc) July 20, 2025

The co-main event saw Paulo Costa finally break his losing streak in spectacular fashion. The Brazilian powerhouse looked like his old self against Roman Kopylov. He landed heavy shots and controlled the action for three rounds. Costa’s aggressive approach reminded everyone why he was once considered a serious title threat. His unanimous decision victory marked his first win in nearly three years and potentially saved his UFC career.

Don't call it a comeback 💪@BorrachinhaMMA earns the UD in the co-main event!

[ #UFC318 | LIVE NOW on @ESPNPlus PPV ] pic.twitter.com/d0ZZmaDQ9g
— UFC (@ufc) July 20, 2025

Daniel Rodriguez and Kevin Holland put on an absolute war that had fight fans losing their minds. Both welterweights got dropped multiple times in a chaotic battle that showcased pure heart and determination. Rodriguez ultimately won by unanimous decision, but both men earned respect for their willingness to engage in pure violence.

WHAT. A. FIGHT. 👏

[ #UFC318 | @DRODUFC | @TrailBlaze2Top ] pic.twitter.com/7gOTQww9s9
— UFC (@ufc) July 20, 2025

Patricio Pitbull showed his Bellator skills translate well to the UFC octagon by outworking Dan Ige over three rounds. The former Bellator champion used smart grappling and timely striking to earn a close but clear unanimous decision. Michael Johnson continued his late career resurgence by defeating Daniel Zellhuber to kick off the main card. The veteran showed he still has plenty left in the tank at age 39.

UFC 318 Preliminary Card Results

The preliminary card featured several fighters making their mark on the big stage. Vinicius Oliveira closed out the prelims with his fourth straight UFC victory. He overcame early trouble to outwork Kyler Phillips. The Brazilian showed excellent recovery skills and relentless pressure to earn a close unanimous decision.

Brendan Allen delivered one of his best UFC performances by dominating former title contender Marvin Vettori. Fighting in his home state, Allen looked sharp from the opening bell and never let Vettori find his rhythm. The victory snapped a two fight losing streak and likely earned Allen a top ten ranking.

Getting the home state W! 🫡@BrendanAllenMMA earns the UD victory in front of family & friends tonight!

[ #UFC318 | LIVE NOW on ESPN & @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/QLc36aAS5C
— UFC (@ufc) July 20, 2025

Nikolay Veretennikov and Francisco Prado delivered an all action battle that went the full distance. Veretennikov started strong but had to survive a late rally from Prado to earn a close split decision victory. Ateba Gautier continued his impressive rookie campaign with a first round TKO of Robert Valentin, showcasing the power and precision that made him a hot prospect.

UFC 318 Early Prelims Results

The early preliminary card kicked off with several spectacular finishes that got the New Orleans crowd buzzing. Islam Dulatov made a statement in his UFC debut by knocking out veteran Adam Fugitt in the first round. The welterweight prospect extended his winning streak to twelve fights, all by stoppage.

ISLAM DULATOV HAS ARRIVED 🤩

He earns the KO to make a memorable debut tonight!

[ #UFC318 | LIVE NOW on ESPN2 & @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/shV7WpJVjD
— UFC (@ufc) July 19, 2025

Jimmy Crute returned to form with a first round armbar submission of Marcin Prachnio. The Australian light heavyweight looked sharp in his second fight back from hiatus. Ryan Spann dominated at heavyweight with his signature guillotine choke finish over Lukasz Brzeski. Brunno Ferreira continued his perfect finishing rate with another first-round armbar. Meanwhile Carli Judice opened the show with a third round knee TKO in front of her Louisiana home crowd.

(Image Credit: Stephen Lew – Imagn Images)

Brendan Allen

Islam Dulatov

Jimmy Crute

Max Holloway vs Dustin Poirier

Paulo Costa

UFC 318

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!