UFC - Poirier vs Hooker
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New Fight Preview: UFC Vegas 4 – Poirier vs Hooker

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Get ready to close the books in grand fashion on a great month of action in the Fight Capital of the World. In a great showcase of matchmaking, the UFC will flex its muscles in the talent-rich lightweight division at UFC Vegas 4 this Saturday. The evening’s main event will offer a sensational bout featuring #3 Dustin Poirier vs. #5 Dan Hooker.

 

The two elite strikers will have a lot on the line this weekend, as they each want to make a huge statement at the top of the division. The event is made all the better by the fact that it will be a five-round fight in the APEX’s smaller 25-foot Octagon. Both men are known for their knockout power, and the heavy stakes will surely have them looking for a big finish. 

 

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Photo Credit: MMA Fighting

Poirier (25-6, 1 NC) will make his first trip to the Octagon since losing a championship bout to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 in September. Before that, Poirier was riding an impressive four-fight winning streak. He had to go through a murderer’s row to get there, scoring victories over two former lightweight champions in Anthony Pettis and Eddie Alvarez, as well as a formidable TKO of Justin Gaethje. 

His streak culminated with an interim lightweight championship win at UFC 236. In yet another big against a champion, Poirier beat then-featherweight king Max Holloway to earn a shot at Nurmagomedov for a unification bout. He made performance bonuses in all four of his victories on his way to the title, displaying relentless aggression and an iron will in each of his outings. 

Surely, he made a name for himself as one of the fiercest competitors in the division during that stretch, as well as earning a reputation as a fan favorite. 

 

Hooker (20-8) is coming in on a three-fight winning streak himself this weekend. His most recent performance came in a five-round war against Paul Felder in February. In that fight, he displayed phenomenal distance management awareness, for which his team at City Kickboxing is highly revered. 

Felder wanted to make it an ugly fight, trying to utilize the clinch and dirty boxing, but Hooker did a great job keeping him at bay with a sustained assault of leg kicks and functional movement. 

Hooker forced Felder to fight on his terms, and as a result, he picked him apart at a distance. His combinations were varied, attacking the head, body, and legs, keeping Felder guessing throughout the fight. Still, Hooker did run into trouble at times during the match when he became too aggressive and ate several big punches from Felder. 

As a result, he won the fight by the narrowest of margins, getting a split decision victory. Regardless, this is something he will want to clean up in his fight this weekend. He will want to avoid playing the take-a-punch to give-a-punch game with Poirier, as not many in the UFC can survive that. 

 

UFC
Photo Credit: UFC

Hooker’s teammates Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski put City Kickboxing on the map, with both winning UFC championships in their respective divisions last year. Hooker will want to be the third City Kickboxing fighter to bring a championship to New Zealand, but first, he will have to earn his claim against Poirier, which is no easy task. If he does get it done, though, it will be the most significant victory in his career and a sure path to the title. 

For his part, Poirier will have a tougher hill to climb, given that he just lost a title fight in his last outing. Still, he can re-establish his status as a top contender with an emphatic win over Hooker this weekend. 

 

UFC will wrap up its month-long stint in Las Vegas this Saturday at the APEX. The preliminary card will air on ESPN starting at 3 pm PT, followed by the main card at 5 pm PT. 

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-Leo Schauer – Franchise Sports Media 

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