Dustin Poirier reacts following UFC on ESPN 12 victory over Dan Hooker: “I can do better”

Former UFC interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier returned to the Octagon this evening for a fight with streaking contender Dan Hooker.

The key lightweight bout served as the headliner of tonight’s UFC on ESPN 12 event. The contest also marked Poirier’s first appearance since suffering a submission loss to reigning 155lbs champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242.

The highly anticipate showdown between ‘The Diamond’ and ‘The Hangman’ lived up to the billing. The perennial contenders went to absolute war for twenty-five straight minutes, resulting in what many are calling a “fight of the year” performance.

After five rounds of heart-pounding action, Dustin Poirier was awarded a unanimous decision victory from the judges in attendance (48-47, 48-47, 48-46).

Despite putting on yet another thrilling “fight of the night” contest, Poirier wasn’t overly thrilled with his performance at UFC on ESPN 12.

Dustin Poirier (26-6 MMA) shared the following comments in his post-fight interview with UFC commentator Jon Anik (via MMAJunkie).

“It was a tough one, man,” Poirier told the UFC after the fight. “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. This is what I love to do. I put all the work in. I trust in my team, skill, and work ethic. I came here, pulled another one out, and had a few more rounds in me.”

Dustin Poirier continued to discuss his win over Dan Hooker (20-9 MMA):

“I could have been a little bit sharper,” Poirier said. “I didn’t move out of the way of a few shots. It’s not that I disrespected Dan’s power, but I stayed in the pocket too long. I should have been sharper. At the end, I started getting in my range and countering off his lazy shots. 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.”

What did you think of Dustin Poirier’s performance against Dan Hooker at tonight’s UFC on ESPN 12 event in Las Vegas and who would you like to see ‘The Diamond’ fight next? Share your thoughts in the comments section Penn Nation!

on June 28, 2020