Everything you need to know about the main event of the July 19 UFC 318 fight card. Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier 3 - Odds, picks, predictions and more.

NEW ORLEANS – Paulo Costa has seen better days, but Roman Kopylov still considers him to be at elite level.

While Waianae’s Max Holloway headlines UFC 318 on Saturday in a bout against Dustin Poirier for the BMF title, another Hawai‘i fighter will also step into the spotlight. Haleiwa native and Kahuku High School graduate Dan Ige will face former Bellator champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire in a featured featherweight main card matchup at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/fannation/mma as Dustin Poirier's UFC 318 walkout will have a legendary special musical guest. Dustin Poirier's final UFC fight will get an extra special entrance this Saturday.

"The Italian Dream" takes on bitter rival Brendan Allen on the preliminary card of Saturday's UFC pay-per-view event at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Vettori (19-7-1 MMA, 9-6-1 UFC) and Allen (24-7 MMA, 12-4 UFC) have plenty of history, more infamously getting into a brawl on the casino floor of the Hard Rock Hotel in South Florida.

However, this hasn’t been the case across the board heading into UFC 318 where several fighters have had some bad blood to get off their chests. He may be fighting Roman Kopylov in the co-main event, but that didn’t stop Paulo Costa from speaking about ...

UFC 318 is shaping up to be the final fight in a legendary career for Dustin Poirier. And "The Diamond" is pulling out all the stops. Not only will the event be in his home state of Louisiana from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Poirier will have a special guest walk him to the Octagon to face Max Holloway.

The fatal mistake wasn't nerves or jitters, no. It was quite the opposite. Freire (36-8 MMA, 0-1 UFC) said his UFC 314 loss to Yair Rodriguez was the result of being too calm.

Saturday's UFC 318 card will be a tear-jerker for Dustin Poirier fans. The beloved lightweight legend is set to make his final walk to the Octagon in the card's main event, and he'll do so in front of legions of dedicated fans on home turf in New Orleans.

Ahead of Saturday's UFC 318 card, we offer up bold predictions for the night's main card. Will Dustin Poirier retire with another win over Max Holloway?

The UFC is back in the bayou this week for a longtime fan favorite’s home retirement fight – in a BMF trilogy bout, no less – in New Orleans. Here's how to watch UFC 318 with a pair of longtime rivals and former champions on the top of the bill in “NOLA.

While speaking to reporters for media day on Wednesday, Poirier confirmed that rap star and fellow Louisiana native Lil Wayne will walk him to the Octagon for his retirement fight against UFC BMF champion Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 318 on Saturday in New Orleans.