Louisiana native Dustin Poirier is locked for a UFC BMF title fight in his home state to conclude his career, as New Orleans will host Poirier’s battle with title-holder Max Holloway to highlight the July 19 card at the Smoothie King Center.
This will be the third battle between the lightweight combatants, the 36-year-old Poirier, who hails from Lafayette, Louisiana, taking the first two contests.
Both fighters are coming off losses in title fights, however. Poirier (30-9) submitted to Islam Makhachev last June, while the 33-year-old Holloway (26-8) lost in knockout fashion to Ilia Topuria in October.
“For Dustin Poirier to be able to finish his remarkable UFC career in New Orleans is special,” UFC executive vice president Peter Dropick said in a news release. “Thank you to the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, the Louisiana Office of Tourism, New Orleans & Company and Smoothie King Center for helping us make this happen.
“It’s been 10 years since we’ve held an event in New Orleans, we know the fans are ready for us to be back!“
The Octagon will also play host to ranked middleweights No 10 Marvin Vettori (19-8-1) and No. 11 Brendan Allen (24-7), who will do battle for the first time in an official capacity at UFC 318.
The two were slated to fight at UFC Vegas 90 last April, though Vettori pulled out. A few months later, the pair squared off (unofficially) in a brawl at a Florida casino.
Their ranked billing remains hotly anticipated.
The rest of the lineup includes newly announced fights between Kyler Phillips (12-3) and Vinicius Oliveira (22-3) at the bantamweight level, Jimmy Crute (12-4-2) facing Marcin Prachnio (17-8) in light heavyweight and Carli Judice (4-2) battling Nicolle Caliari (8-3) at women’s fly.
Other fights include:
--No. 7 Amanda Ribas vs. No. 10 Tabatha Ricci in strawweight
--Neil Magny vs. Gunnar Nelson in welterweight
--Adam Fuitt vs. Islam Dulatov in welterweight
--Ikram Aliskerov vs. Brunno Ferreira in middleweight
Dustin Poirier to close UFC career with Max Holloway trilogy title fight
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Dustin Poirier to close UFC career with Max Holloway trilogy title fight
- Both fighters are coming off losses in title fights
Morocco include injured captain Hakimi in AFCON squad
- Regragui said: “We hope he (Hakimi) will be available for our first match against the Comoros“
- Hosts Morocco face the Comorans on Dec. 21 in Rabat
JOHANNESBURG: Morocco included injured captain Achraf Hakimi in a 26-man squad named on Thursday for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The 27-year-old full-back sprained his ankle after being fouled playing for Paris Saint-Germain against Bayern Munich last month in the UEFA Champions League.
Speaking after the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington last Friday, head coach Walid Regragui said: “We hope he (Hakimi) will be available for our first match against the Comoros.”
Hosts Morocco face the Comorans on December 21 in Rabat in the opening match of the biennial African football showpiece.
Referring to recently crowned 2025 African player of the year Hakimi, Regragui added: “He is doing better. He is improving. He wants to be here (Morocco). He is our leader, our captain.”
Morocco are in Group A with the Comoros, Mali and Zambia. Group winners and runners-up qualify automatically for the knockout phase, along with the best four of the six third-placed teams.
Other Atlas Lions stars, including goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, Manchester United full-back Noussair Mazraoui, midfielder Sofyan Amrabat and striker Youssef En-Nesyri, have been selected.
Morocco are seeking to win the AFCON a second time. They drew with Guinea in 1976 in Ethiopia to finish first in a tournament consisting only of mini-leagues.
Only three of the 13 AFCON hosts this century — Tunisia, Egypt and the Ivory Coast — have been crowned champions.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal/KSA), Munir El Kajoui (Renaissance Berkane), El Mehdi Al Harrar (Raja Casablanca)
Defenders: Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA, capt), Mohamed Chibi (Pyramids/EGY), Jawad El Yamiq (Al-Najma/KSA), Romain Saiss (Al Sadd/QAT), Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal (Rennes/FRA), Nayef Aguerd (Marseille/FRA), Adam Masina (Torino/ITA), Noussair Mazraoui (Manchester Utd/ENG), Anass Salah-Eddine (PSV Eindhoven/NED)
Midfielders: Oussama Targhalline (Feyenoord/NED), Sofyan Amrabat (Real Betis/ESP), Ismael Saibari (PSV Eindhoven/NED), Neil El Aynaoui (Roma/ITA), Bilal El Khannouss (Stuttgart/GER), Azzedine Ounahi (Girona/ESP)
Forwards: Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid/ESP), Ilias Akhomach (Villarreal/ESP), Chemsdine Talbi (Sunderland/ENG), Youssef En-Nesyri (Fenerbahce/TUR), Ayoub El Kaabi (Olympiacos/GRE), Soufiane Rahimi (Al Ain/UAE), Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Real Betis/ESP), Eliesse Ben Seghir (Bayer Leverkusen/GER)
Standby: Youssef Belammari (Raja), Hamza Igamane (Lille/FRA)
