The Smoothie King Center is set to host UFC 318 on Saturday, with Louisiana fans eagerly anticipating a thrilling PPV.
Dustin Poirier fights in the Octagon, one last time, in his home state for the BMF title against Max Holloway.
New Orleans hasn’t hosted a UFC event in 10 years, which was a fight night that took place on June 6th.
Here are all the key moments that happened when the UFC last visited The Crescent City.
Hendo knocks out Boetsch in under 30 seconds
The main event for UFC New Orleans was originally meant to be Daniel Cormier vs Ryan Bader.
But, after a hit-and-run incident from Jon Jones, leading up to his fight at UFC 187, he would be stripped of the Light Heavyweight title.
Therefore, Cormier took to the stage in Las Vegas, meaning Tim Boetsch vs Dan Henderson was moved up as the headliner.
This would be a huge moment for Boetsch as it was his first main event of his UFC career.
Despite the incredible opportunity, Henderson made quick work of the Barbarian.
Hendo knocked down the Maine fighter before finishing the battle with ground strikes, making the fight last 28 seconds.
Rothwell remains in the top 10 of the Heavyweight rankings
A clash that was guaranteed a finish, as Ben Rothwell and Matt Mitrione were known for rarely going the distance in their battles.
Both men were on winning streaks, with Mitrione’s looking more intimidating, as his last three fights ended by first-round knockout or technical knockout.
However, unlike ‘Meathead’, Rothwell was a master on the feet and the ground.
The Illinois-born fighter made the mistake of attempting a takedown, which led to the current BKFC fighter locking in a Guillotine Choke and stopping the fight in the first round.
The submission victory for Rothwell meant that he would keep his position inside the top 10 of the Heavyweight division.
Not to forget that he did pull off an iconic moment in his post-fight interview with Jon Anik.
A future star succeeds in his home state
With Poirier being one of the biggest MMA fighters of today, it’s hard to believe where his run to the top began.
In June 2015, ‘The Diamond’ stepped into the Octagon and came face-to-face with Yancy Medeiros in a Catchweight bout of 159.5lbs.
Medeiros was on a slight rise in the Lightweight division after securing two consecutive submission wins.
This was due to the Hawaiian missing weight, meaning he was fined 20 per cent of his fight purse.
It’s clear that it did not affect Poirier as he shined with a standing TKO win in the first round.
10 years on, the Louisiana mixed martial artist has become an Interim Lightweight Champion and main evented multiple PPVs.