Daniel Cormier is raising concerns about Max Holloway’s next move, particularly the idea of a third fight against Dustin Poirier. While Holloway is eager to make his mark in the lightweight division after a knockout loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 308, Cormier believes a matchup with Poirier might not be the best way to re-enter the 155-pound class.
Holloway’s defeat to Topuria marked the first knockout loss of his career, and in its aftermath, he announced his decision to move up to lightweight full-time. This announcement piqued the interest of fans and fighters alike, including Poirier, who has already defeated Holloway twice. The two are familiar foes, having met once at featherweight, where Poirier submitted Holloway in 2012, and later in 2019 for the interim lightweight title, with Poirier securing a unanimous decision in a Fight of the Year contender.
However, Cormier believes there may be better ways for Holloway to transition into the lightweight division rather than jumping straight into a trilogy bout with Poirier. On the Good Guy/Bad Guy podcast, Cormier questioned whether fighting Poirier would be the ideal next step for Holloway’s career, suggesting that the Hawaiian fighter might benefit from easing into the division with different challenges.
“I understand the excitement around a third fight with Dustin Poirier,” Cormier said. “But is that the best way to introduce Max Holloway to the lightweight division? Instead of facing a Poirier right off the bat, perhaps we could see how Holloway fares against fighters like Michael Chandler after his fight with Charles Oliveira, or maybe a matchup with Rafael Fiziev, Benoit Saint-Denis, or even Paddy Pimblett.”
While Cormier acknowledged that these matchups may not be as appealing to Holloway, he emphasized that facing such opponents could help the former featherweight champion build his way back into contention without immediately facing top-tier fighters. “Personally, I’d rather not see Holloway face Poirier, Justin Gaethje, Alexander Volkanovski, and Ilia Topuria in succession. It’s a lot to ask of him,” Cormier stated.
Holloway’s move to lightweight is a highly anticipated one, but given the challenges he’s already faced in the featherweight division and his tough loss to Topuria, Cormier believes a more gradual approach would be more beneficial for Holloway’s long-term success in the UFC.
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