The Game: UFC 318

The Game: UFC 318

The UFC returns to New Orleans on Saturday, July 19, for a pay-per-view built around history, nostalgia and plenty of finish potential. Louisiana’s own Dustin Poirier says this rubber-match with Max Holloway will be his final walk to the Octagon, and the symbolic BMF belt is on the line.

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Main-Card Snapshot

•Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier – lightweight, BMF Title Holloway tries to halt an 0-2 skid against Poirier while “The Diamond” looks to cap his career in front of a home-state crowd.

•Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov – middleweight Former title challenger Costa tests Kopylov’s four-fight knockout streak.

•Kevin Holland vs. Daniel Rodriguez – welterweight A rematch-of-sorts (scrapped twice before) between two volume strikers who rarely take a backward step.

•Dan Ige vs. Patrício “Pitbull” Freire – featherweight Bellator’s long-time king is still hunting his first UFC win; Ige guards the ranking slot.

•Michael Johnson vs. Daniel Zellhuber – lightweight Veteran hand-speed versus a tall, high-pace prospect to kick off the PPV.

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Prelims Worth Setting a Reminder For •Kyler Phillips vs. Vinicius Oliveira – bantamweight •Marvin Vettori vs. Brendan Allen – middleweight •Francisco Prado vs. Nikolay Veretennikov – welterweight •Adam Fugitt vs. Islam Dulatov – welterweight •Jimmy Crute vs. Marcin Prachnio – light heavy

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Why It Matters

  1. Poirier’s last ride, Holloway’s revenge. If Poirier wins, he retires 3-0 over a future Hall-of-Famer; if Holloway wins, he finally closes that chapter and keeps the BMF aura alive.
  2. Middleweight queue-jumping. Costa needs a win to stay relevant; Kopylov could leapfrog half the division with another KO.
  3. Bellator’s flag-bearer. Pitbull is 0-2 in the UFC; beating Ige would reset that narrative fast.

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MMA Fantasy Angle •Popular picks: Most players will lock in Holloway-Poirier and Costa-Kopylov for safe points. •Where to gain ground: • Ige vs. Pitbull – near-even odds and high output; a correctly boosted winner here can swing your night. • Phillips vs. Oliveira – both finish at a high clip; perfect for a 3 or 4x boost. • Vettori vs. Allen – likely a three-round grind; nailing method/round picks separates seasoned players from the pack.

Use your multipliers on these swing fights while the crowd piles in on the headliner, and you could rocket up the leaderboard.

Lock in those picks, stack your boosts wisely, and get ready for a night where legacy meets opportunity in the Big Easy. 👊