Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight fighters Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker will meet in a duel tonight (June 27, 2020) in the UFC on ESPN 12 from within the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Poirier put together an incredible winning streak to capture the interim title, but all his success in the lead-up to his fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov meant little once in the cage. Now Poirier faces the difficult task of securing a second chance at 155 pounds of gold after a layoff. While Poirier was sidelined, Hooker picked up some of his career’s best victories, forcing his way into the title mix. Hooker’s combination of range and power has proven quite deadly in recent times, but this will continue to be a considerable step in the competition for the Kiwi.
Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for every man:
Dustin Poirier
Record: 25-6 (1)
Key wins: Max Holloway (UFC 236), Justin Gaethje (UFC on FOX 29), Eddie Alvarez (UFC on FOX 30), Anthony Pettis (UFC Fight Night 120), Joseph Duffy (UFC 195)
Key losses: Khabib Nurmagomedov (UFC 242), Conor McGregor (UFC 178), Michael Johnson (UFC Fight Night 94), Chan Sung Jung (UFC on FUEL TV 3)
The key to victory: Poirier started out in the Octagon as a solid fighter with some heavy hands. Almost a decade later, Poirier is one of the best boxers in his division, and that man still punches extremely hard.
For the first time in a long time, Poirier will not have a range advantage. That definitely changes things a bit, as Poirier likes to attack opponents out of his reach. Instead, Poirier will be forced to walk with Hooker, as he once did with Joe Duffy.
Against Hooker, Poirier should try to stifle that blow with his own main hand. That will only help him get closer as Hooker will be forced to rely more on the jab as Poirier’s left-handed postures will help mitigate the effectiveness of the calf kick. While pushing forward and choking on the jab, Poirier should be looking to dig in the middle section with his left.
Against Duffy, Poirier found great success stepping on the Orthodox with his left hand, allowing him to shoot for takedowns or follow up with more power shots. Both strategies seem wise against Hooker, who probably doesn’t want to fight or trade Poirier in his pocket.
Dan hooker
Record: 20-8
Key wins: Gilbert Burns (UFC 226), Paul Felder (UFC Fight Night 168), Al Iaquinta (UFC 243), James Vick (UFC on ESPN 4), Marc Diakiese (UFC 219), Jim Miller (UFC Fight Night 128),
Key losses: Edson Barboza (UFC on FOX 31), Jason Knight (UFC Fight Night 101), Yair Rodriguez (UFC 192)
The key to victory: Hooker is a long, lanky lightweight with great power in his hands. Lately, he’s really been setting his opponents on fire with his calf kick, and the New Zealand native also has some tough performances up his sleeve.
In most of his recent fights, the jab and calf kick have proven to be an incredibly successful combination for Hooker. However, against a left-hander in Poirier, he cannot rely solely on those two ranged weapons, as it will be easier for “The Diamond” to defend himself simply by the way their stances match.
However, Hooker still wants this fight at a distance. Your direct jab can still be effective, you just have to land in the fight by hand, and your cross will often serve its purpose. Hooker’s right leg can also hurt, ideally in the form of a quick kick on the center or round kick.
If Hooker makes the proper adjustments to his kickboxing, there is a real possibility that he could catch Poirier with a major counterattack.
Bottom line
This is going to be fun!
Poirier is in a somewhat odd position in his career. He may have recently lost to Nurmagomedov, but he practically hit the rest of the top contenders on his way up. Since he has been on the sidelines for a while, the division has advanced without him … even though Poirier only lost to the champion.
As a result, this fight is quite big for “The Diamond”. Either he wins and is back in the title mix, or he falls short and low in the rankings in a major way.
This is not a small moment for “The Hangman” either. Hooker has a chance to take out a former interim champion and score by far the biggest win of his career. He’s been fighting for a long time and taking advantage of this opportunity, so now it’s time to test how high Hooker’s ceiling is.
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In the UFC on ESPN 12, Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker will fight in the main event. What man will stand when the dust settles?
