Holloway is two fights removed from a failed featherweight title bid against Topuria, the only person to knockout Holloway in 35 professional fights. Topuria and Holloway subsequently moved full-time to lightweight. Topuria knocked out Oliveira to win the vacant 155-pound title, and Holloway defended the BMF belt against a retiring Poirier.

Prior to his victory over Poirier, Holloway was stopped via strikes for the first time in his career by the now lightweight champion Ilia Topuria at UFC 308 this past October. Topuria vacated the 145-pound belt after stopping Holloway, and then brutally knocked out Charles Oliveira in the main event of UFC 317 in June to capture his second title.