Post-Fight Tidbits From Amazing July 19 Show

UFC 318 played out as one of the greatest send off events that the company has ever produced, with it setting the stage for an all-time classic between a retiring Dustin Poirier and BMF champion Max Holloway. The headlining bout delivered on the hype, but the PPV card also brought with it a small bevy of exciting matchups, such as middleweight sluggers Paulo Costa and Roman Kopylov, and also Bellator icon Patrício Pitbull facing off with Dan Ige.   

Now, here are some interesting post-fight facts about the main card fighters from UFC 318. 

UFC 318: Michael Johnson def. Daniel Zellhuber

Michael Johnson

His appearance at UFC 318 marked his 31st UFC fight and his 12th win by decision. In addition, Johnson’s knockdown on Zellhuber marked the Mexican’s first time being downed by strikes in all seven of his UFC outings.

Johnson’s victory at UFC 318 brought his current win streak to three in a row.

Daniel Zellhuber

This fight at UFC 318 was Zellhuber’s first contest since his appearance at UFC 306 last September after two subsequent bouts with Elves Brener and Austin Hubbard fell through back in March this year. It’s his second loss in a row. 

He has not won a fight since February 2024 back at UFC on ESPN+ 95.

UFC 318: Patrício Pitbull def. Dan Ige 

Patrício Pitbull

Pitbull’s UFC 318 win over Ige marked his first win in the UFC after falling to Yair Rodriguez last April at UFC 314. This was the first time he scored a victory in a promotion other than Bellator MMA since 2009. He is now 2-2 in his past four contests.

Dan Ige

His defeat to Pitbull was the 10th time in his professional career where he has lost by decision.  He is now 1-3 in his past four bouts 

At 55 blows absorbed, his encounter with Pitbull stands as the most times he has been hit by significant strikes in a contest since his scrap with Nate Landwehr at UFC 289, where he received 74.

UFC 318: Daniel Rodriguez def. Kevin Holland  

Daniel Rodriguez

This win over Holland was his 20th professional victory. In addition, his win over Holland brought his current win streak to three in a row, with past victories over Alex Morono and Santiago Ponzinibbio 

He has remained in the win column since June 2024 after suffering a loss to Kelvin Gastelum.

Kevin Holland

Holland’s loss to Rodriguez ended his two-fight winning streak at welterweight after triumphing over Gunnar Nelson and Vicente Luque. This was the first time he has lost at 170-lb since being defeated by Jack Della Maddalena at Noche UFC.

His contest with Rodriguez served the first time he has been knocked down in a UFC fight after being brought to the canvas twice by the older competitor.

UFC 318: Paulo Costa def. Roman Kopylov

Paulo Costa

Costa’s UFC 318 win over Kopylov was his first since defeating former champion Luke Rockhold at UFC 278. Moreover, his win over Kopylov was only his third by decision across his 15 professional victories.

His win over Kopylov also snapped a two-fight losing skid after being defeated by Robert Whittaker and Sean Strickland back in 2024.

Roman Kopylov

His loss to Costa marked the second time he has lost by decision in his professional career after losing to Albert Duraev back in 2021 in what was only his second UFC bout. This defeat to Costa ended his two-fight winning streak after picking up notable victories over César Almeida and Chris Curtis. 

He is now 0-2 in contests where he has faced ranked middleweights. 

UFC 318: Max Holloway def. Dustin Poirier

Max Holloway 

Holloway’s win over Poirier served as the first time he has beaten him in his UFC tenure after falling to “The Diamond” in two previous encounters. This win versus the new retiree marked the first time he has successfully defended a championship since his reign as featherweight king back in 2019 after defeating Frankie Edgar at UFC 240. 

His record for most significant strikes landed in UFC history now stands at 3,655. He has now reentered the winner’s circle after being knocked out for the first time in his professional career by Ilia Topuria back at UFC 308.

Dustin Poirier

He retires from the sport of MMA after recording 32 fights with  the UFC, serving on their roster since 2011. Poirier’s UFC 318  loss to Holloway ends a storied career with his second defeat in a row after losing last year to then lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 302.

He exits the UFC with several notable accolades such as tying Drew Dober with the most knockouts in 155-lb history with nine and possessing ten Fight of the Night awards.