Max Holloway to fight Dustin Poirier at UFC 236
THE CANADIAN PRESS VIA AP
UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway weighs in for his mixed martial arts bout against Brian Ortega at UFC 231, in Toronto, Dec. 7, 2018. For his next fight, Holloway faces Dustin Poirier in April.
Seven years after making his UFC debut against Dustin Poirier, Max Holloway will fight him again with a little more on the line.
The two will compete for the interim 155-pound title in the main event of UFC 236, a UFC official told the Star-Advertiser tonight.
Holloway (20-3, 16-3 UFC), the current UFC featherweight champion, will move up to attempt to win a second UFC belt at the same time. Daniel Cormier, Conor McGregor and Amanda Nunes are the only fighters to accomplish that feat.
Hilo’s B.J. Penn held UFC titles in different weight classes at different times.
Holloway defeated Brian Ortega by TKO in his last fight to run his winning streak to 13. A win over Poirier would give him the second-longest winning streak in UFC history behind Anderson Silva’s 16 straight.
Poirier (24-5, 16-4) submitted Holloway in the first round of their first fight when Holloway was 20 years old. He has rattled off wins against Jim Miller, Anthony Pettis, Eddie Alvarez and Justin Gaethje since his last loss to Michael Johnson in September 2016.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
Current UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is suspended for nine months for his role in a postfight incident after his victory over McGregor in October.
Holloway attempted to fight Nurmagomedov in April on six days’ notice, but was deemed unfit to make weight by doctors just prior to the weigh-in time limit.
UFC 236 will take place April 13 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
