Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker put on an absolute war tonight in the main event of UFC On ESPN 12, with ‘The Diamond’ eventually emerging victorious by unanimous decision.
Round One:
The main event is underway in Las Vegas.
Front kick to the body from Hooker. Leg kicks exchanged. Hooker with a left hand. Back to the front kick to the body.
Two nice low inside leg kick kicks from Hooker. Punch lands for Poirier. Body punches and then a left hook for Hooker.
Front kick high to the body attempted by Poirier. Another low inside leg kick from Hooker lands nicely. Now a kick that lands to the cup, but Poirier is ok to continue. Another lands to the cup! Poirier still ok, but Hooker will need to clean up his work here.
Hooker with a leg kick. Poirier lands to the body. Left hook for Hooker. Hooker continuing to work this left hook.
Poirier into the clinch and presses Hooker to the cage. Hooker manages to break free thhough. Inside leg kick and then a jab from hooker. It’s been a good start for him.
Hard body kik for Poirier. He lands it again. Nice left hand gets through for Hooker and more punches behind it.
Hard punch from Poirier gets Hooker’s attention, but he clinches up in response. Hooker has Poirier up against the cage. They start to trade punches, with Hooker throwing more volume, but Poirier firing back and even lands some unorthadox hammerfists.
Moving back to the center of the cage. Hooker working to the body. Poirier with a left hand on teh counter. Solid jab for Hooker. Poirier with an overhand right.
Round Two:
jab for Hooker and inside leg kicks too. Overhand right from Poirier. Poirier again lands hard. He’s throwing with purpose.
Hooker returning the favor now though and he lands nicely. Hooker with a knee, but Poirier looking to catch that. Poirier working for a takedown now against the cage. Hooker does well to escape though. Poirier tags him with a hard combo of hooks. Good chin on Hooker.
Now it’s Hooker landing hard and Poirier fires back with a quality series of hooks, then overcommits. Hooker clinces up.
The action slows a little. Hooker lands a brief combo. Poirier with left and rights of his own. Hooker with an inside leg kick and then a crisp one-two.
Poirier with a kick, punch and then into a takedown attempt. Ferocious pace here. They separate. Poirier lands. Hooker bleeding from a cut to his right eye. Hard combo from Poirier who also has blood to the face now.
Poirier loading up on his punches. Both land. Hard punches from Hooker and threatening with a knee too.
Hooker working to the body. Left hand for Poirier. Again Poirier lands another clean left. Now it’s Hooker who rattles Poirier’s head with clean punches and Poirier has to desparately look for a takedown to break up that offense.
That buys him some time but back on the feet they start to trade again. Both men eating huge shots here. Hooker ends the round very strongly with a nasty combination of punches to the head and Poirier has to take a breather before getting to his stool after that. Crazy action.
Round Three:
Front kick to the body from Hooker. Hard body kick from Poirier. One-two for him.
Inside leg kick from Hooker, but Poirier lands a counter hook. Right hand gets through for Poirier. Body punch and then upstairs from Hooker.
Jab for Poirier. Again Hooker punches to the body, but gets a counter to the head in return. Nice punches from Poirier. He lands again with multiple punches.
Punch from Poirier knocks Hooker’s mouthpiece out, but he’s given time to get it in again.
Hooker looking for a takedown, but as he does so Poirier is working a tight guillotine choke. It looks like he might have it, but then Hooker pops his head out. Poirier tries to throw up a triangle choke attempt, but nothing doing.
Hooker staying in Poirier’s guard and landing some punches. Poirier working an elbow strike. Hooker happy to just stay on top now. Poirier starting to worm his way out from underneath and gets up, though eats a knee in the process.
Two hard punches from Poirier. jab for Hooker. Leg kick for Hooker, punch to the head from Poirier. They trade a few more punches to their already bloodied faces to end the round. Such a hard fought fight and there’s still two rounds to go!
Round Four:
Left hand from Poirier. jab for Poirier and Hooker trying to counter. Another right hand gets through for Poirier.
Now a body kick from Poirier and left hand upstairs. Body punch and one upstairs from Hooker. Jab for Poirier. Counter jab from Hooker. Again the jab from Poirier. He keeps getting through with that right hand at the moment.
Body kick from Poirier, but Hooker catches it and takes him down. Poirier straight back up, but Hooker pressuring him and jumps onto his back.
Hooker comes back off his back and gets the takedown. Nice escape from Poirier to stand again though.
Hooker immediately in on another takedown and lands it in the center of the Octagon. Good escape again from Poirier to stand.
Poirier gives him a taste of his own medicine by going for his own takedown and he lands it next to the cage. Poirier able to cinch up his legs and manages to partially take his back here. Poirier landing elbows and punches. Hooker trying to stand up. Poirier jumps on his back, but slides off and has to work for an armbar attempt instead to remain offensive.
Armbar not going to pay off so Poirier transitions to the omaplata. Hammerfists to the head from Poirier . Hooker manages to drag his arm free and gets on top. Poirier trying to stand up, but Hooker trying to keep him down.
Poirier does stand, but Hooker brings him down again. Poirier trying for a guillotine, but Hooker slides out easily. Body punches from Hooker to end the round on top.
Round Five:
Front kick to the body from Hooker and then an inside leg kick. Left and a right from Poirier. Front kick to the body from Hooker.
Again the body kick from Hooker. Jab for Poirier. Hooker continually landing the front kick to the body. Nice left hand for Poirier.
Body kick for Poirier. right hand from hooker. Punch apiece there. Body kick again for Hooker. Right hand for Poirier. Poirier presses forward with a left hand. Now the jab. Hooker throwing a punch in return.
Left hook for Hooker. Right hand from Poirier and then a clean left. Takedown defended. They clinch up and Hooker turning Poirier into the cage.
Back to striking range. Double left hand for Poirier. Hooker in on a takedown and lands it. Poirier moves his back to the cage and tries to stand. He does so, but Hooker takes his back as he does so. hand fighting and Poirier is able to turn into Hooker and then get back to striking range.
Hard right hand from Poirier. HOoker goes for the takedown, but Poirier stuffs it. Hooker again in on the takedown attempt, but Poirier stuffs it for a second time. Hooker still working it though against the cage.
Final minute of the fight. Poirier reverses the clinch, but then Hooker does the same. Hard punch lands for Poirier.
Poirier gets Hooker down and thinking about a choke, but then just opts to land a few left hands to the face instead. What a fight!
Decision:
Remarkable action then and a crazy pace from start to finish, but there can only be one winner, and it’s Dustin Poirier who gets a unanimous decision victory (48-47×2, 48-46).
Great performance from Poirier then, but Hooker deserves a lot of praise too for helping put on one of the best fights of the year so far.
