UFC 236 will feature not one, but two interim title fights.
UFC featherweight champ Max Holloway (20-4 MMA, 16-4 UFC) will move up to the lightweight division to fight Dustin Poirier (24-5 MMA, 16-4 UFC) for the interim title at UFC 236 in the April event headliner.
MMAjunkie verified the booking with a person close to the situation following an initial report from ESPN.com.
UFC 236 takes place at April 13 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The event airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and UFC Fight Pass.
Not long after requesting his release from the company due to a frustration around not being booked, Poirier gets a position in his first UFC title bout. He brings a five-fight unbeaten streak, including a victory over former UFC champ Eddie Alvarez at UFC on FOX 30 in July.
“The Diamond” is ranked No. 3 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA lightweight rankings, only behind champ Khabib Nurmagomedov and former interim champ Tony Ferguson.
Holloway, No. 4 in the pound-for-pound MMA rankings, moves up to the lightweight division as champion at 145 pounds on the strength of a 13-fight winning streak. “Blessed” most recently defended his title with a dominant showcase against Brian Ortega at UFC 231 in December, and afterward, UFC President Dana White said he would like to see Holloway move up a weight class.
Despite the matchup, Holloway will not yet give up his featherweight belt, according to the report from ESPN.
With champ Nurmagomedov (27-0 MMA, 11-0 UFC) suspended due to his participation in the infamous UFC 229 brawl and apparently unwilling to fight before November, the promotion opted to move on with an interim belt.
The latest UFC 236 lineup now includes:
- Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier – for interim lightweight title
- Kelvin Gastelum vs. Israel Adesanya – for interim middleweight title
- Poliana Botelho vs. Paige VanZant
- Alexandre Pantoja vs. Wilson Reis
- Boston Salmon vs. Khalid Taha
For more on UFC 236, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
