Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight knockout artists Dustin Poirier and Michael Johnson clashed last night (Sept. 17, 2016) at UFC Fight Night 94 inside State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas.
Since moving up from Featherweight, Poirier has been tearing opponents apart. Thanks to some technical improvements and his incredible punching power, "The Diamond" was knocking on the door of the title mix, and a victory over Johnson could be the last bit of push he needed.
Meanwhile, Johnson was in Poirier’s position a little over a year ago, knocking on the door of a title shot after a big win streak. A couple tough losses sent him slipping down the ranks, but this was his opportunity to turn things around and begin a new run at the strap.
Mission accomplished.
Highlights! Watch the killer combination right here.
Johnson came out and attacked quickly, maintaining his range and stabbing at Poirier with jabs and low kicks. In the first real exchange of punches, Johnson’s speed advantage was evident, as his combination flew out far quicker than his opponent’s punches.
While Johnson looked extremely sharp, Poirier didn’t seem too concerned and looked fairly calm. However, that comfort may have backfired, as Poirier stepped into a combination too tall. Johnson took a quick step back, planted, and landed flush with a counter hook-cross.
It shut his opponent’s lights off.
This was a spectacular performance by Johnson. He looked quick and deadly from the start of the bout, and it was clear that any clean blows from either man could drastically change the fight.
Johnson landed first.
Even before those counter punches, Johnson was fighting smart. By working to establish his jab and kicks, Johnson set himself up for success if the fight did go into the later rounds.
Following this victory, Johnson deserves a fighter in the title mix. A rematch with Edson Barboza could be a lot of fun, while a fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov would also make sense.
Poirier entered this bout with a speed disadvantage, but there’s really nothing to be done about that. The Louisiana-native tried to walk his opponent down, but he was a bit frustrated by his opponent’s movement early on.
He never really got a chance to make adjustments.
That said, Poirier lost this bout in part due to a technical error. He tends to overextend on his uppercuts, but he’s been able to get away with it because few fighters are willing to plant and exchange with "The Diamond."
Against a sharp kickboxer willing to take that chance, Poirier instead ate hard counter punches while in a poor position to absorb them. Strong chin or no, that’s a recipe for a knockout loss.
Last night, Michael Johnson flattened his opponent inside a round. Can Johnson climb the ranks and steal UFC gold?
For complete UFC Fight Night 94: "Poirier vs Johnson" results and play-by-play, click HERE!