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Here's what you need to know to watch UFC 318 on pay-per-view, ESPN and ESPN+.

The UFC is back in the bayou this week for a longtime fan favorite’s home retirement fight – in a BMF trilogy bout, no less – in New Orleans.

Here's how to watch UFC 318 with a pair of longtime rivals and former champions on the top of the bill in “NOLA.”

Broadcast and streaming info

UFC 318 has a main card that starts at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view via ESPN+. The preliminary card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, and early prelims stream on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Longtime UFC correspondent Heidi Androl will conduct pre and post-fight interviews backstage with some of the athletes on the UFC 318 card, as well as report additional real-time updates for the event.

Dan Hellie will host the official UFC 318 weigh-in show on Friday at 9:50 a.m. ET/6:50 a.m. PT. He'll be joined by UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier and Paul Felder, as well as former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman.

Retired light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith, former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen, former UFC/WEC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, Alan Jouban and Teddy Atlas will serve as desk analysts on the UFC 318 post-fight show and throughout the card, when necessary. Brendan Fitzgerald will serve as desk host.

Jon Anik will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at UFC 318. He will command play-by-play alongside color commentators, former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier and retired lightweight contender Paul Felder, who steps in for the absent Joe Rogan on a U.S.-based PPV event. Din Thomas will also contribute to the broadcast as a coach-analyst.

(Mike Bohn–MMA Junkie)

Main event: Max Holloway

Record: 26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC
Opponent: Dustin Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Key wins: Justin Gaethje, Chan Sung Jung, Arnold Allen, Yair Rodriguez, Frankie Edgar, Brian Ortega, Jose Aldo (twice), Anthony Pettis, Ricardo Lamas, Charles Oliveira
Misc.: Former featherweight champ Holloway will be looking to bounce back after a third-round knockout loss to former champ Ilia Topuria in a title fight this past October. The loss was the first time Holloway has been knocked out and snapped a three-fight winning streak that also included his BMF title win over Justin Gaethje – a belt that will be on the line against Poirier.

Max Holloway, UFC 300 press conference

Main event: Dustin Poirier

Record: 30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC
Opponent: Max Holloway (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Key wins: Benoit Saint-Denis, Michael Chandler, Conor McGregor (twice), Dan Hooker, Max Holloway (twice), Eddie Alvarez, Justin Gaethje, Anthony Pettis
Misc.: Poirier, a former interim lightweight champion, will hang up his gloves after one more fight – and it comes in front of a home crowd in his native Louisiana. He’s got two wins over Holloway already – one in Holloway’s UFC debut in 2012, and another for the interim belt in 2019 when Holloway moved up from featherweight on short notice. Poirier is fighting for the first time since a lightweight title fight loss a little more than a year ago to Islam Makhachev.

Dustin Poirier, UFC 302 press conference

Co-main event: Paulo Costa

Record: 14-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC
Opponent: Roman Kopylov (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Key wins: Luke Rockhold, Yoel Romero, Urian Hall, Johny Hendricks
Misc.: It’s been tough sledding for the Brazilian, who started 5-0 in the UFC from 2017-2019 to get a title shot, but has gone just 1-4 since. The losses have been to the division’s elite: former champs Israel Adesanya (for the belt), Robert Whittaker and Sean Strickland, plus former title challenger Marvin Vettori. He’s also dealt with injuries the past few years.

Jun 1, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Sean Strickland (red gloves) fights Paulo Costa (blue gloves) during UFC 302 at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Co-main event: Roman Kopylov

Record: 14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC
Opponent: Paulo Costa (14-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Key wins: Chris Curtis
Misc.: Kopylov has turned up the heat after losses in his first two UFC bouts. He’s won six of his past seven, including five by knockout. He has three bonuses in that stretch, as well, to reach contender status.

Sep 16, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Roman Kopylov (red gloves) fights Josh Fremd (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

UFC debut: Islam Dulatov

Record: 11-1
Opponent: Adam Fugitt (10-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Misc.: Dulatov has had a great start to his career with all 11 of his wins by stoppage and a near equal mix of knockouts and submissions. On DWCS this past October, a first-round knockout from an elbow got him signed to the UFC.

Islam Dulatov def. Vanilto Antunes - DWCS 75

UFC debut: Jackson McVey

Record: 6-0
Opponent: Sedriques Dumas (10-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Misc.: McVey has been training with UFC-level fighters near St. Louis to start his career, and it’s been perfect so far with six first-round finishes. He was set for a short-notice UFC debut against Sedrique Dumas at UFC 317 three weeks ago, but had an opponent change to Chris Ewert because of Dumas’ ankle monitor. Then Ewert blew his weight cut and the fight was off. McVey is no doubt hoping this fight week is a little smoother.

Jackson McVey, UFC 317 official weigh-ins