Dustin Poirier makes his final trip into the octagon on Saturday for a trilogy fight against Max Holloway at UFC 319.
The pre-fight narrative: Poirier has beaten Holloway twice before, but the Diamond is an underdog in his swan song with the “BMF” belt on the line. In the co-main event, a red-hot Roman Kopylov looks to jump further up the middleweight rankings in his bout against Paulo Costa.
Check out my UFC 318 predictions for the July 19 event in New Orleans.
UFC 318 predictions overview
Click link to add selection to betslip. Note: Lines have changed/market no longer available if grey.
| UFC 318 predictions | Odds | Bet now ⬇️ |
| Holloway to win | -148 | Add to betslip |
| Kopylov to win by finish | +290 | Add to betslip |
UFC 318 predictions made at 11:30 a.m. ET on 07/17/25.
Go to full UFC 318 betting markets.
UFC 318 predictions
Best Bet: Holloway to win (-148)
I don’t love these odds, but I do love Holloway’s chances of sending Poirier into retirement with a loss.
“Blessed” has a 5-2 record since 2020. His losses came against Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria, and those are two of the best ever, so I can’t fault him for that.
Holloway’s last two victories were decisive finishes against Justin Gaethje and The Korean Zombie.
He outstruck that pair by a combined 256 significant strikes to 137, and all signs point to this being another brawl. That should play into Holloway’s favour.
- Holloway lands a blistering 7.16 significant strikes per minute, according to UFC.com.
- Poirier isn’t far behind, landing 5.3 significant strikes per minute.
- Each of the Diamond’s last five bouts has ended via finish (2-3 record).
Poirier is going to leave everything on the line and will surely be hunting for a KO. That said, Holloway has some of the best conditioning and stamina in the promotion and should be able to go blow-for-blow in a fast-paced fight.
Key stat: Holloway has the fourth-best striking differential (2.44 per minute) in featherweight history.
Quick pick
Kopylov to win via finish (+290): Costa was once a rising star in the middleweight division, but those days are long gone.
The Brazilian is 1-4 from 2020 onwards, losing to big names Israel Adesanya, Marvin Vettori, Robert Whittaker and Sean Strickland.
He’s only been knocked out once in his career — by Israel Adesanya at UFC 253 — so it might seem hard to get behind Kopylov to win via finish.
But I think fireworks are coming in the co-main event.
Kopylov has won six of his last seven fights, and five of those victories have been via knockout.
The Russian has been a fighter his whole life, training in martial arts since the age of nine. He’s an elite striker and grappler and is by far the more active fighter of the two, which holds a lot of weight in my book.
Costa has only fought twice since August 2022 (both losses) while Kopylov has seven in the same timespan. Ring rust could be a factor for the 34-year-old Brazilian, who isn’t known for being quick on his feet.
This is practically a must-win for Costa, and I expect the veteran to approach the fight with some urgency. That should allow the ever-poised Kopylov to catch him exposed.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.