In the main event of UFC on ESPN 12, aka UFC Vegas 4, Dustin Poirier was looking to return to the win column when he battled Dan Hooker.
Ahead of the fight, many were expecting the bout to earn Fight of the Night honors. Yet, the two put on an all-time great fight and exceeded many fan’s expectations. In the end, it was Poirier who edged out the unanimous decision win after five hard rounds.
Now, following the event, here is what we think should be next for Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker.
Dustin Poirier
Dustin Poirier has been a perennial lightweight contender and showed he is still a top-three lightweight on Saturday night. The win was crucial for “The Diamond” if he wanted to get another title shot as he could very well be in a number one contender bout next time out.
Poirier took a ton of damage in the fight so for now, he should take some time off to heal. The Diamond shouldn’t book a fight until the Khabib Nurmagomedov-Justin Gaethje fight happens. If “The Highlight” wins, Poirier should get the title shot given he has a win over Gaethje.
Yet, if Nurmagomedov stays undefeated and defends his belt, the fight that has to happen is Dustin Poirier vs. Tony Ferguson sometime in early 2021. Both fighters should take the rest of the year off and start 2021 with a bang by having Poirier and Ferguson headline a Fight Night card where the winner earns a title shot. The scrap would guarantee to be entertaining and would be meaningful in the lightweight division.
Dan Hooker
Even though Dan Hooker lost the fight, he leaves Vegas with his stock as high as it ever has been. The Kiwi proved he is an elite lightweight and won two rounds against Poirier, and even hurt the former interim champ in the fight.
Like Poirier, Hooker should look to take the rest of 2020 off and heal his injuries and return against a top-10 opponent. That opponent should be Charles Oliveira. The Brazilain is on an insane winning streak and coming off a win over Kevin Lee. Hooker-Oliveira can headline a Fight Night card where the winner would get a top-three opponent.
What do you think should be next for Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker after UFC on ESPN 12?