Dustin Poirier, the #1 lightweight contender, has an illustrious UFC career. He is one of the most prominent names in mixed martial arts. ‘The Diamond’ has an amazing professional fighting career of 28-6 under his name.
The 32-year-old has an impressive fifteen knockout wins and six submission wins under his name. He was the interim lightweight champion of UFC. However, he is yet to lay his hands on the lightweight gold strap.
Interestingly, Poirier is fresh from his recent win over the former two-division champion Conor McGregor in a trilogy bout at UFC 264. And after a failed attempt to gain the 155lbs belt against Khabib Nurmagomedov, Poirier has another chance now to get the gold.
‘The Diamond’ will take on the champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 269 on 11th December in Las Vegas. It is going to be one good match for the belt. So as Poirier prepares for one of the most important fights of his career, we take a look at some of his stunning knockout wins in the UFC.
Bounce Back Into the Win Column
‘The Diamond’ was on an amazing three-fight undefeated streak of his career when he first clashed against ‘The Notorious’ in a featherweight bout. Unfortunately, he lost the fight via a devastating first-round knockout at UFC 178.
However, the American fighter didn’t stop and was preparing for his comeback. He faced Diego Ferreira in 2015. Poirier dominated the fight right from the first bell. However, Ferreira retaliated by exchanging strong strikes.
With 1:27 remaining in the first round, Poirier landed a strong left that sent Ferreira to the mat. The former further continued by dropping heavy punches and forcing the referee to stop the fight. ‘The Diamond’ bounced back into the win column in a quick fashion and also won his first ‘performance Of The Night’ bonus.
Dustin Poirier vs Anthony Pettis
After defeating Ferreira, ‘The Diamond’ went on winning three straight fights. And faced only one loss between 2015 and 2017. Following a no contest at UFC 211, Poirier faced Anthony Pettis in 2017.
Pettis was fresh from his win over Jim Miller and came in this fight on the back of one win. It was a bloodbath. Both the men absolutely went to war against each other.
With continues back and forth, the lightweight combatants took the fight to the third round. With four minutes remaining in the round, Poirier took Pettis to the ground and took control of him. Pettis had enough in the fight and he verbally submitted due to a fractured rib, resulting in a TKO finish. It was his second knockout loss in the UFC.
WATCH THIS STORY: Khamzat Chimaev, Canelo Alvarez, and Other Potential Opponents for Kamaru Usman After a Dominant Win Over Colby Covington at UFC 268
Two Wins in a Row
After destroying Anthony Pettis, ‘The Diamond’ went to war against a fresh UFC prospect. He faced Justin Gaethje in a five-round gruesome battle in 2018.
‘The Highlight’ has already faced a devastating knockout loss in his UFC debut. However, he came in to be one of the toughest opponents for Poirier. The bout garnered a lot of attention from the fight fans.
Interestingly, both the men lived up to the hype and put on a classic performance inside the cage. Gaethje started attacking the legs right after the bell.
However, Poirier retaliated with some good combinations. Both the men refused to give up in the battle and took the fight to the fourth round. But now ‘The Diamond’ was looking to end the war.
Gaethje, in a failed attempt to land a kick, ate a strong left hand that sent him back wobbling. Poirier saw the moment and landed a barrage of punches until referee Herb Dean jumped in and stopped the fight, handing Gaethje his second UFC loss.
Settling the Score With Eddie Alvarez
Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier faced a no contest in their first slugfest at UFC 211. Hence, the promotion set up a rematch to settle the score once and for all. It was Alvarez’s last fight in the UFC.
‘The Diamond’ looked confident in the fight. He was making full use of his reach and dominated Alvarez in the first round of the fight. However, the round ended with both men still standing on their feet.
In the second round, Poirier landed a guillotine choke twice, but Alvarez pulled out of it both times. The latter mounted on Poirier and landed an illegal elbow. Hence, both the men stood up again. Alvarez has bruises all over his face.
With 1:30 remaining in the round, Poirier unleashed hell on Alvarez. He demolished the latter until the referee called off the fight, handing Alvarez a loss in his last UFC bout.
Second Battle With Conor McGregor
Following a loss in a title shot at UFC 242, Dustin Poirier bounced back into the win column by defeating Dan Hooker. And the promotion set him up for a rematch with the former two-division champion Conor McGregor.
Meanwhile, ‘The Notorious’ was fresh from his win over Donald Cerrone at UFC 246. It was a much-anticipated rematch in the history of UFC. It garnered a lot of attention, as everybody wanted to see the beef settle inside the cage.
Both men put their skill set on display. Poirier secured a takedown in the first round. However, the exciting round ended with both men still on their feet.
ALSO READ: “Max Is Big Time!” – Conor McGregor Eager to Watch His Former Foe in Action at UFC Vegas 42
Interestingly, ‘The Diamond’ turned the tables in the second round. With 2:40 remaining in the round, Poirier unleashed a vicious combination at McGregor that sent him down to the canvas. Later, ‘The Diamond’ also won the trilogy fight against the Irishman at UFC 264.
What do you make out of Dustin Poirier’s finishes in the UFC? Let us know in the comments below.
The post Crazy Knockout Finishes by Dustin Poirier in UFC appeared first on EssentiallySports.
from EssentiallySports https://www.essentiallysports.com/ufc-mma-news-crazy-knockout-finishes-by-dustin-poirier-in-ufc/
0 Comments