- Dustin Poirier recorded a win over Dan Hooker via unanimous decision.
- Hooker opened the contest better, but eventually, Poirier managed to outpower the rival.
- The two fighters set a new record in total strikes landed in the lightweight division.
Poirier and Hooker Deliver the Show for Ages
If there is an award for the fight of the decade, this bout should receive it. It is one of the best battles we’ve seen in a long time, with both participants going over their limits of abilities. The ones who watched this fight had plenty of things to see, and they didn’t waste a second of their time.
“It was a tough one, man. Dan came to fight. He’s a tough guy. He’s on the rise and really thought he was going to get passed me. He talked a lot of trash, like, he was going to move forward and fight the champ — but I’m the champ,” said the winner.
In the end, Dustin Poirier got away with a win, after all, three judges scored in his favor. The Diamond posted a triumphant comeback after a nine-month absence, proving all the doubters that his surgery and a long period away from the ring didn’t have a negative impact on his condition.
At first, he looked a little slower and more conservative than usual, but as time progressed, he would get his touch back and start to punish Hooker from all sorts of weapons. The judges all scored the opening two rounds in favor of the “Hangman” as the fans call him, while the next three were Poirier’s.
“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,” Poirier explained.
What is Next for Both?
Poirier was stable, without any oscillations in the octagon, and was slowly accelerating as time went by. He managed to survive an early burst of the Kiwi, who was firing from all weapons, suffering some cuts and bleeding, but without some serious consequences.
Having in mind that he didn’t have a fight in nine months, this is very good, and what improves the overall impression is that he had a red-hot fighter across himself.
Hooker defeated Paul Felder, Al Iaquinta, and James Vick in the last three events, and also holds a win over Gilbert Burns, and that tells a lot. He will definitely stay in the top echelon of the lightweight division following this match. The performance he delivered was superb, and Dana White got another possible contender in the lightweight division.
As for the Diamond, his future also promises a lot of excitement. He already stated that the title belt is the only thing on his mind and that he wishes to clash with the champion, regardless of his name. For now, that is Khabib Nurmagomedov, but the Russian Eagle is yet to fight Justin Gaethje, who was looking stunning against Tony Ferguson.
