After waiting what seemed like an eternity to hear who would be headlining the UFC's latest PPV offering, fans are in for a treat on Saturday, April 13 at UFC 236. With much speculation as to who would battle in the main event for the six weeks leading up to the event and in need of a title fight, UFC finally landed on something fans everywhere could get behind.
Featherweight champion Max Holloway will make the move up in weight to 155 pounds to take on Dustin Poirier for the interim lightweight crown. The two will face off in a de facto No. 1 contender's fight for the right to take on full champion Khabib Nurmagomedov later this year, according to UFC president Dana White. It is the first time Holloway will be moving up in weight after a health scare in 2018 caused many to sound the alarms that his difficult weight cut to 145 pounds may be taking its toll on his brain and body.
For Poirier, this opportunity is the culmination of nearly nine years of hard work. Starting with WEC in 2010 before joining UFC in 2011, "The Diamond" has come close to title opportunities multiple times, only to fall on the big stage to the likes of Cub Swanson, Conor McGregor and Michael Johnson. Now, he faces the biggest test of his career while riding the hottest streak yet with three straight fight night bonuses.
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In the second of the interim title bouts being showcased in Atlanta, undefeated sensation Israel Adesanya, fresh off a milestone victory over the legendary Anderson Silva in the main event of UFC 234, will battle Kelvin Gastelum for the interim middleweight title. Robert Whittaker, the current 185-pound champion, is still recovering from surgery to correct a hernia and bowel obstruction he suffered prior to his scheduled UFC 234 main event defense against Gastelum. Should Whittaker return to action some time this summer, as his team has suggested, then the winner of this one will be in line to face the champ upon his return.
We also get to see some familiar faces return to the PPV portion of an event with Eryk "Ya Boi" Anders battling Khalil Rountree Jr. and Ovince Saint Preux taking on Nikita Krylov in a pair of light heavyweight tilts. Anders, the former Alabama linebacker, is just 1-3 in his last four fights, but has delivered some incredible moments in the Octagon, including his soccer kick knockout of Tim Williams in 2018. Rountree Jr. is coming off a vicious knockout loss to rising 205-pound prospect Johnny Walker in November.
Below, you can have a look at the UFC 236 card as it begins to shape out.
UFC 236 fight card
| Fight | Weightclass |
|---|---|
Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier | Interim lightweight title |
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Israel Adesanya | Interim middleweight title |
Eryk Anders vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. | Light heavyweight |
| Alan Jouban vs. Dwight Grant | Welterweight |
| Ovince Saint Preux vs. Nikita Krylov | Light heavyweight |
| Jalin Turner vs. Matt Frevola | Lightweight |
Wilson Reis vs. Alexandre Pantoja | Flyweight |
| Max Griffin vs. Zelim Imadaev | Welterweight |
Boston Salmon vs. Khalid Taha | Bantamweight |
| Curtis Millender vs. Belal Muhammad | Welterweight |
Montel Jackson vs. Andre Soukhamthath | Bantamweight |
| Lauren Mueller vs. Poliana Botelho | Women's flyweight |
| Brandon Davis vs. Randy Costa | Bantamweight |
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