Dustin Poirier Defeats Dan Hooker in a Magnificent Fight

Dustin Poirier is back. The former UFC lightweight posted a win against Dan Hooker in one of the best fights seen in a while. It was a unanimous decision that brought triumph No. 26 to the Diamond as the fans call him.

The two guys were bashing one another pretty hard, but in the end, the judges didn’t have any doubt when it comes to the winner. They all gave a clear advantage to the American – 48-46, and two of them 48-47.

“Now that I’m a victor again, I want to get back to the drawing board. I want to keep getting better. I want to stay in love with this sport,” said Poirier (26-6 MMA, 18-5 UFC).

What a FIGHT!

Dustin Poirier WINS by decision against Dan Hooker… #UFCVegas4 pic.twitter.com/rNtUSmO5OL

— Nuke The House (@NukeTheHouse) June 28, 2020

The match was furious right from the start, and there was not a moment in the octagon of the UFC APEX building that these two weren’t trying to destroy one another. Hooker (20-9 MMA, 10-5 UFC) was better in the opening two rounds, and he did have several combinations which hurt Poirier.

On the other side, the former title-challenger responded, but it was clear that the Kiwi has the upper edge.

Yet things began to change as time went by, with Poirier taking over the wheel in the third round. He started getting into his usual rhythm, regaining confidence and braking through the ring rust which was obvious in the opening two sequences.

“I landed some good ones and made his head snap back. I was stealing the rounds with shots like that, but I can do better,” he said, following the contest while giving the interview to the journalists.

This was the match with the most total strikes in the history of the lightweight division – 390. It was a pleasure to watch the fight, and after it ended, the social networks exploded from positive comments. The fans were praising both fighters, saying that this might be one of the best fights in the last five years.

For Hooker, this was the first defeat following three-wi streak in which he bet James Vick, Al Iaquinta, and Paul Felder. He was on his way to becoming a contender and was hoping that he might be the one who faces the winner of Khabib vs. Gaethje spectacle

This defeat will slow him down in his quest towards the title, but can’t be disappointed, because this fight showed that Hangman has everything needed to become a champ one day.

"I'm having a blast."

💎 @DustinPoirier IS A MANIAC. #UFCVegas4 pic.twitter.com/MSXq9qRMbw

— UFC (@ufc) June 28, 2020

Poirier was a bit slower in the beginning, as we said, but that was a consequence of his absence from the octagon. The last fight the American had was against Khabib at the UFC 242 in September last year. After getting comfortable, his quality emerged to the surface and he stopped the surging rival.

With this success, Poirier could be near a title-eliminator. Even though it is just one win, his previous record is impressive, which is why Dana White and the organization have to include him in all the talks regarding the title fight. Wins over Gaethje, Alvarez, Holloway, Pettis, etc., have to be recognized, and it wouldn’t be odd to see Poirier in another headliner anytime soon.

The next big thing is the UFC 251, which features three title battles. The main event is Kamar Usman vs. Gilbert Burns for the welterweight title. The rematch for the featherweight title between Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway and a bantamweight title clash Petr Yan vs Jose Aldo are also included.