Hooker loses epic LA fight
Dustin Poirier won a thrilling unanimous decision over New Zealand’s Dan Hooker, surviving a brutal second round and persevering to finish a well-rounded performance in the main event at the UFC’s corporate gym in Las Vegas yesterday.
Hooker fought the bout of his life but it wasn’t enough, as he eyed a potential progression to a world title fight.
In a gripping lightweight contest,
Poirier got the decision over the brave Kiwi in the
UFC main event.
The judges scored it 48-47,
48-47 and 48-46 in
Poirier’s favour in a bout that went the distance over five five-minute rounds. Poirier was ranked the No 3 contender to Hooker’s No 5 heading into the fight.
The main event was a barn-burner from the opening round, with both lightweights trading strikes and displaying minimal regard for defence.
The second round was a particular spectacle, with each fighter badly hurting the other while throwing punches and knees at full power.
The fight went to the ground in the fourth round, and Poirier attempted several submissions before Hooker escaped. Poirier appeared to have more energy left for the fifth round.
‘‘It was a tough one,’’ Poirier said. ‘‘Dan came to fight. He’s on the rise. He really thought he was going to get past me. I trusted in my team, in my skill and my work ethic.’’
Poirier (26-6) capped his long rise by beating Max Holloway in April
2019 for the interim lightweight title. He lost the belt to unbeaten champion Khabib Nurmagomedov last September, and a leg injury subsequently kept him out of the cage for the longest stretch of his career.
He was back in fine form against Hooker (20-9), the tough kickboxing star from New Zealand who had won seven of his last eight bouts since
2016.