Video
Original Description
Stream UFC 318 on ESPN+ https://plus.espn.com/ufc/ppv
Check out the best moments from the UFC 318 pre-fight press conference in New Orleans featuring Max Holloway, Dustin Poirier, Dana White, Paulo Costa, Roman Kopylov and more.
#UFC318 #UFC #MMA
✔ For more UFC, sign up for ESPN+ http://espnplus.com/ufc/youtube
✔ Get the ESPN App: http://www.espn.com/espn/apps/espn
✔ Subscribe to ESPN on YouTube: http://es.pn/SUBSCRIBEtoYOUTUBE
✔ Subscribe to ESPN FC on YouTube: http://bit.ly/SUBSCRIBEtoESPNFC
✔ Subscribe to NBA on ESPN on YouTube: http://bit.ly/SUBSCRIBEtoNBAonESPN
✔ Watch ESPN on YouTube TV: http://es.pn/YouTubeTV
Video Transcript
What's up, New Orleans? How are you
today?
Thanks for coming out. Who's got the
first question?
For Dustin, of course. Uh Dustin, I know
being a lot going on this week. A lot of
people making you emotional, taking you
on trips down memory lane as we sit here
48 hours out on the night before your
final weight cut. How are you digesting
everything?
I'm good, man. We got to save that stuff
for after the fight. I got to be tough
guy right now, man. These guys are
making me cry, sending me notes from
people I have a lot of respect for. But
it's been incredible, man. the the love,
the appreciation. I feel seen. I feel
appreciated. I love Louisiana.
Thank you to the UFC
for coming back here. I haven't fought
here in over 10 years. Thank you to the
fans. Thank you, Max, for showing up to
do what we're going to do tomorrow, uh,
Saturday night, cuz I know it's going to
be a banger. I love you all.
And for both you and Max, uh, Dustin,
you guys have both told me in the leadup
to this fight that you're planning on
fighting like knuckleheads in there. You
want to bleed. So, what is the fight
going to look like? a strategy go out
the window right as we go or how do you
end up in that knucklehead type of war?
Bro, I try not to. I just have a natural
ability to get myself in those kind of
fights every time. I'm not trying to jab
and circle and win rounds. I'm trying to
scrap and finish these guys. And Max
isn't afraid of the fire. We've shown
that before. We've watched his career.
We watched him become champion. We
watched him put down the legends of the
sport. So, you have two guys like that.
It's going to be a head-on collision.
You know, we're going to be crash test
dummies in there, baby.
Max, your feelings. I know uh you know I
saw on the countdown show your coach
said you have lead in your hands now
fighting at lightweight. What kind of
war are you expecting on Saturday?
It's going to be a fun one, man. It's
going to be a fun one. It's his last
dance. We're expecting There are the
booze. There are the booze. Bring on
more of the boos. Please give this man
his respect. That's what I like to hear.
It's going to be a fun one come Saturday
night.
And for both of you guys as well, uh
it's been a bit of a tradition now with
someone wrapping the belt around the BMF
winner. It was Mazdall, Mark Coleman. Uh
who would each of you like to wrap that
belt around your waist if you get the
victory on Saturday night?
Yeah. Put Lety do it.
Max, would you want that as well?
I'm not going to disagree with that.
And just lastly for you, Dustin, uh I
know you use your platform a lot for
your Good Fight Foundation, everything
for your last fight here. What are you
doing to kind of give back to close out
your MMA career?
Yeah, I'm going to auction off
everything I wear Saturday night again
for our next school, but currently right
now, we just got finished. They It's
grown to where I don't even have to be
there right now. I have such a strong
team and and community of friends,
family, my brother, my business
partners, everybody on the board, Allan,
Job, his wife, and son all came sweating
that warehouse and help when I was
finishing camp. So over uh 1,200
backpacks with school supplies got
filled in August 5th. We're doing the
pickup in Lafayette, Louisiana. So as
soon as this this fight ends, I get a
little downtime and we right back to
fighting a good fight. You're known for
your knockout ability. He's never been
knocked out. Are you strictly going in
there to bang with him or we might
surprise him with some grappling?
I definitely go to knock out him out
Saturday because look this energy. Look
this energy. I will take advantage of
this energy and I I gonna bring a lot
emotion action and I'm going to knock
him here out and I have nothing I I have
nothing against him. He's a good boy,
good guy. But from now until Saturday, I
going to hate him
and uh this is this is what I I need to
bring for for cage Saturday night and
I'm going to bring this. I'm focused on
this, you know. Uh I I will take
advantage of the whole the whole energy
from you. You you guys and Saturday are
going to bring fire on this cage.
Believe me.
A question for Dana.
Question for Dana.
Go ahead.
Got to put you on the spot a little bit.
You know, we're here for the diamond.
Dustin Porier, do you have a favorite
moment throughout Dustin's career? Well,
I I've been talking about this all week.
I mean, if you look at his last 11
fights, he's fought all killers. Uh, I
think seven of them were all held
titles. And, you know, Dustin's been uh
very important to this company. And
that's why I mean, he wanted to do this
fight here. We made sure it happened.
And, uh, a couple things I want to I
want to say. I want to thank the
governor who's been incredible uh to us.
Uh, really has been incredible to us uh
in in setting up this fight. And
Caesar's Palace, New Orleans, too. Thank
you guys. We appreciate everything that
you've done for us. And yes, we love
Dustin.
Who's got the next question?
Question for the diamond.
Dustin, the fans here love you, not just
because you're a great fighter, but
because you're a great person. You've
had so many memories in Louisiana.
What's your best memory with the fans
here at home?
Man, I remember 2008. I fought right
here across the street in the Superdome.
Rich Clemeni is from around this area. I
know I don't know if a lot of you know
Rich, but he's a pioneer of mixed
martial arts. He was in the UFC forever.
He's Louisiana legend in mixed martial
arts. And he put on a show with a uh a
car company. They did a car show and set
up a cage in the middle of the
Superdome. I don't know if it's ever
been done before or after, but in 2008,
I was one of the first people to fight
in the Super Doome in mixed martial
arts. So, I'm proud of that, man. That's
a good memory in Louisiana.
Paulo, you've got one Russian across
from you this weekend. You've talked
more specifically, you've got unfinished
business with another Russian, more
specifically from Cheschna. If he's
tuning in this weekend, what's your
message to Hamza Chamay?
Yes, you guys know about that already.
Everybody knows about that. I have a,
you know, mutual hate.
After this fight, I'm going to send a
message for him, but until there you
need to wait to to watch. And uh because
my focus right now is on this guy. So I
need to focus on him. But of course I
have a plan after that. And uh I I I
have finished business with
you know she might have and uh yes I'm
going to face him sooner or later.
And uh one more for Max Holloway.
Max, you had the opportunity to play to
play spoiler against the Korean zombie.
You said, "Listen, I want people to boo
me. If if this was a Hawaiian crowd and
somebody was fighting me, they'd be
booing them out of the arena." So, you
got the audience here. What's something
that you're you could possibly say to
fire these these guys up to get you to
boo you this weekend?
They don't need no firing up. This is
what this is exactly what I expected and
I'm thankful for them. You know, give
this man, he's a hometown hero, guys.
Give this man his respect. Keep booing
my ass.
Hey, hey, Dustin said this. Gumbo sucks.
Hey, Gumbbo sucks, guys.
Who's next? Hey,
go ahead.
My question is for Romanov.
Hold on. Hold on a second. Roman,
question. Question for Roman Kapalov.
Everybody knows you as a very shy,
humble guy, very quiet. And usually, as
history shows that this type of person
should be worried about, should cost to
us start worrying about you being so
humble and quiet.
Go ahead, Rome.
Thank you very much for the opportunity.
I'm super glad to be in co-main event.
And you know what? Paul says a lot of
stuff. I've been watching him his
career. He says a lot of interesting
stuff and I'm ready. I hope he's ready
as well. Hopefully, we'll show an
exciting fight for everybody. That's it.
Let's go. Let's go. Go ahead, sir.
Also, yesterday Paula said that there's
a virtual title that he holds, which is
the most beautiful fighter in the UFC,
but he ain't putting it on the line
because he doesn't think you're that
beautiful. What do you say about that?
We'll see after the fight. Maybe
something will change.
Good. Who's next?
Go ahead, sir.
My question is for Dustin. When you
started your MMA career, did you ever
envision that you would have the biggest
uh artist from New Orleans, Wayne, and
the beloved 2009 Super Bowl champion
Saints uh behind you? And what kind of
words of motivation have they given you?
N man, that was a dream. That was a
dream. Even not even when I started,
even my first fight in the UFC, I walked
out to Wayne. In my last fight, he's
going to walk me out. You know, that's
crazy. That's crazy. That just shows you
if you chase your dreams, anything's
impossible. Anything's possible. I come
from Lafayette, Louisiana. The the
lights of of Vegas and fighting in the
octagon was the seemed so far away and I
just kept chasing the dream, man. So,
motivation, discipline, you can make
anything. You can move mountains.
Go ahead, sir.
My question is for Dustin. Dustin, what
worries do you have for the next
generation of fighters that look to
achieve the level of success that you've
reached?
Man, worries. I don't really have
worries. It's just don't get caught up
in the glitz and glamour at the end of
the day. What what pays the bills, what
what makes things count is the hard work
and the
hold yourself accountable. If that
doesn't get lost in in how big this is
getting, you know, fighters are going to
still be cut from that cloth. But it it
is changing a little bit. You know, I'm
excited because I'm such a fan of the
sport. When I lay these gloves down
Saturday night, I'm going to be in front
of the TV every fight. Hopefully ESPN
brings me back and I can continue to
talk about the sport that's changed my
life and taught me so much.
We'll see. But things are definitely
changing, man.
Go ahead, sir.
Dustin, um, you kind of talked about
this a little bit yesterday, but how
does your history against Max kind of
play a role in your fight against him
tomorrow? Will you take anything from
your history against him into uh,
Saturday's fight? Bro, the only thing I
can really take from the the previous
two is his output, his conditioning, his
durability. We're we're different
fighters every time. We're talking about
13 years, a trilogy that spanning 13
years. We were kids at the beginning,
more mature, more more technical
fighters the second one. This time, you
know, the guys we fought, the things
he's done, became champion multiple
times, and we're different fighters
every time. So, this is going to be who
we are in this day and age, this moment
on Saturday night. We'll see who's
better, but they're all different
fights.
You know experience
you are here.
I know.
Thanks for your advice.
Thank you guys. Thank you.
Thank you. I know. I'm excited. I'm
excited. Thank you.
Face forward, boys.
Thank you, guys.
Happy.
Awesome. Thank you, boys. Face forward.
Thanks, boys. Have a good day.
Nice.
You see, you see
a good one, boys.
Gentlemen, let's stare in the crowd here
real quick.
Let's
go.