UFC Lightweight champion Charles Oliveira continued his incredible run of success with a third round submission of Dustin Poirier tonight at UFC 269.
Round One:
The main event lightweight title fight is underway in Las Vegas on the final UFC pay-per-view card of 2021!
Oliveira with a knee early. Right hand for him. Poirier comes forward and lands a big right hand that puts Oliveira down for a second.
He seems ok as they get back to it. Right hand for Oliveira. Flurry for Poirier. Another exchange in close. Poirier got a left hand through there. Oliveira with a knee.
Left hand for Oliveira. He lands another knee to the body. Punch for Poirier. Oliveira darts into a takedown attempt. Poirier trying to keep upright against the cage. Oliveira does bring him down, but Poirier immediately stands back up.
Oliveira back to striking, but then Poirier lands well upstairs. Poirier with a hard left hand. Now a right hand over the top that also troubles Oliveira.
Into the clinch with a big knee for Oliveira. Both fighters really going for it here. Kick to the body from Oliveira but then he gets dropped by a big punch from Poirier.
Poirier has to be cautious about going down into Oliveira’s world though and it’s not long before they get back upright.
Poirier in the ascendancy now as he marches forward and lands hard punches while Oliveira’s backed up against the cage.
Oliveira just not backing down though. He lands a punch and a flying knee upstairs. Both men are already wearing significant damage to the face, but are still pushing a high pace and letting their strikes fly as the round ends.
Round Two:
Oliveira presses forward and eats a jab from Poirier. Kick from Oliveira. He gets into the clinch and lands a good knee to the body. Now he lands one upstairs too.
Oliveira dragging Poirier to the mat. Poirier trying hard to avoid getting his back taken as he falls against the cage. He does manage to get up though and then brings Oliveira down. Oliveira immediately working for a submission though and Poirier has to roll to his back, allowing his opponent to get on top.
Oliveira in Poirier’s full guard in the center of the Octagon now. Half the round remaining as Oliveira starts to drop down some hard elbows.
He takes his time and then drops down a couple more heavy elbows. Another two land. Poirier briefly tries to land a few elbows from his back and then tries to stifle Oliveira’s offense. That’s easier said than done though as Oliveira is soon back to landing some elbow strikes.
Now Oliveira is opting to just smother Poirier and disrupt his breathing. However in the final 10 seconds he postures up ad starts landing blows again, then backs off before the horn.
Round Three:
Front kick to the body from Oliveira. Jab from Poirier. Oliveira darts around to Poirier’s back and looks to bring him down. Oliveira hops on to Poirier’s back now against the cage. Rather than bring him down he just opts to sink in the rear-naked choke instead.
This is a nightmare position to be in with a submission specialist like Oliveira and it’s not long before Poirier is forced to tap out at 1.02mins of the third round!
So Oliveira successfully defends his title for the first time and increases his winning streak to 10 fights. It really is a remarkable run he’s on and he had to display his toughness and durability tonight as well.
