Weight misses are always a concern leading up to an event. Fighters walk a tightrope before stepping on the scale, hoping not to lose 20% of their purse or, worse, risk a fight cancellation. And when that happens, no one’s more furious than the UFC head honcho, Dana White. Thankfully, UFC 318 brings nothing but good news!
Dustin Poirier’s retirement card is stacked from early prelims to the main event, featuring a long list of fighters. Naturally, there was some concern about whether everyone would make weight. But UFC 318 brings relief, all 28 fighters across 14 bouts have successfully hit their marks on the scale.
The headliners set the tone—Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway weighed in at 156 lbs and 155 lbs respectively, making the UFC 318 main event official. Paulo Costa and Roman Kopylov both hit 185 lbs, locking in the co-main event at middleweight. Fan-favorite Kevin Holland came in at 170 lbs, with Daniel Rodriguez matching him to make their welterweight clash official.
Featherweight veterans Dan Ige and Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire both weighed in at 145 lbs, while Michael Johnson and Daniel Zellhuber also made the lightweight limit to set the stage for their grudge match as the main card opener. Just like the main event fighters, every competitor on the prelims and early prelims hit their weight, steering clear of any last-minute drama. That’s a huge sigh of relief for Dana White, especially considering the last time it happened was 132 days ago at UFC 313: Pereira vs. Ankalaev, which also boasted a flawless weigh-in record.
| All 28 athletes scheduled to compete at #UFC318 successfully made weight Friday morning.
Max Holloway – 155 lbs
Dustin Poirier – 156 lbs
Ceremonials later today. pic.twitter.com/pEkIMS4J4B
— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) July 18, 2025
With the entire card now locked in, we’re just moments away from some explosive action inside the Smoothie King Center. While Poirier vs. Holloway will surely steal the spotlight, don’t sleep on the rest of the lineup—just like the last PPV, where Joshua Van and Brandon Royval surprised everyone with show-stealing performances, UFC 318 could have a few unexpected bangers in store.
UFC 318 underrated fights you can’t afford to miss
To start with a bang, let’s look at the main card first. It’s a proper mashup of high-stakes fights—vets vs. new-gen clashes. But the co-main event might be the most interesting bout other than Holloway vs. Poirier. Why? Because Paulo Costa has already stated that this fight against Roman Kopylov will be emotionally driven. ‘Borrachinha’ wants a grudge match with Khamzat Chimaev in the future, so he needs to secure a win here first.
Kopylov, a rising contender, has to show that his last two victories weren’t just lucky breaks. Some folks even think he might pull off a win against a legend like the Brazilian. That just makes this matchup even more interesting. In the prelims, Vinicius Oliveira’s rising star will go up against Kyler Phillips. ‘The Matrix’ just suffered a setback against Rob Font, while the Brazilian remains undefeated in the UFC. That’s another fantastic matchup to keep an eye on. Finally, we have the light heavyweights—the heavy hitters!
Jimmy Crute and Marcin Prachnio are set to put on a show for the fans. Fingers crossed for a real slugfest, not some messy martial arts show. These are some of the exciting matchups we can’t wait to see at UFC 318! So, which fights do you think will really shine on a card like this? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
The post Dana White Takes Sigh of Relief as UFC 318 Breaks Major Curse After 132 Days appeared first on EssentiallySports.