“My first fight in the UFC, I walked out to Wayne. My last fight, he’s going to walk me out. That’s crazy!” Dustin Poirier is quite excited about walking out with Lil Wayne—it’s like checking off a major bucket list item. ‘The Diamond’ is finally getting his UFC 189 Conor McGregor-type moment. But here’s the question! What does Max Holloway have planned?

It feels like the Louisiana native’s epic walkout in front of his home crowd might just steal the spotlight this time. So, ‘Blessed’ may end up a bit overshadowed. But let’s not forget, Holloway’s known for his iconic entrances too. His Naruto-inspired ‘Pain’ theme walkout became an instant hit with fans. So no doubt, he’ll have something special up his sleeve!

The former featherweight champ dropped a new vlog on his YouTube channel, where he was interviewed by none other than his longtime rival and roasting buddy, Daniel Cormier. When asked about the walkout order, Holloway revealed a key detail that ‘DC’ might have forgotten. That he’ll be walking out second as the reigning and defending BMF champion.

Holloway said, “You know, you’re in your hometown. Bro, he’s got Lil Wayne walking out with him. You’ve got Lil Wayne, you’re in your hometown—you better put on a show! I’m walking out second! Bro, for sure! Why wouldn’t I? I have the title!” When Daniel Cormier played dumb about the walkout order, ‘Blessed’ didn’t let it slide. He called out the Louisiana legend, saying, “Bro, this guy’s playing favoritism!”—playfully teasing ‘DC’ for backing his fellow Louisiana native just a little too much. 

The former 145 lbs king is planning to play spoiler in Dustin Poirier’s big hometown moment during their trilogy fight — knowing full well he’ll have minimal crowd support. But this isn’t the first time ‘Blessed’ has surfed into enemy territory. He’s been there before, facing off against crowds that weren’t exactly friendly. So, let’s take a look back at that.

After defeating Anthony Pettis at UFC 206, Max Holloway claimed the interim featherweight belt and cemented himself as the top contender to face José Aldo for the undisputed title. ‘Blessed’ eventually traveled to Brazil and stopped the ‘King of Rio’ in his own backyard with a dominant ground-and-pound finish in Round 3. But even after securing that statement win, not a single clap echoed through the HSBC arena when he raised the featherweight belt for the first time. 

Holloway has reflected that on his recent interview with ESPN MMA and said, “I was getting worse than boos. I was getting that I would die, but in another language that I didn’t understand. I just knew it, because you guys told me this. So, at the end of the day it was crazy to be in Brazil. They way they, after the fight man, being in there and not hearing not a single cheer after the finish, was kinda crazy!” 

Well, it’s hard to say whether the current BMF champ will get the same cold reception in New Orleans—but one thing’s for sure, there’ll be plenty of boos waiting for him. And while it’s unlikely to shake him, it’ll be interesting to see if the hostile crowd has any effect on his performance against Dustin Poirier.

With that being said, what do you think Max Holloway’s showing will be like at UFC 318? Will he finally get the revenge he’s been chasing over the last two fights in this long-awaited trilogy? Or will ‘The Diamond’ ride off into the sunset with the belt around his waist? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!