D. Poirier (photo) weighing in for Ultimate. Photo: Reproduction/YouTube UFC
New Zealander's victory Dan Hooker about To the fifth, UFC 243, earlier this month, ended up being a surprise for many MMA enthusiasts. Hooker not only beat his rival, but dominated the former lightweight title challenger (up to 70,3kg) for three rounds and made a great leap forward in the category. After the triumph, the athlete challenged Dustin poirier, former interim champion and recently defeated by Khabib Nurmagomedov. The American, however, despite praising Dan, stated that, at the moment, the fight is not exciting. The statement was made in an interview with 'MMA Junkie'.
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“(The fight) doesn’t excite me. If you think about it, it would be a fun fight. This guy is a good fighter and he is at the top. He's been performing really well and beating some tough guys, but it's not very exciting for me. I want to share the Octagon with someone not just to fight. I want it to be someone who is among the elite,” said Poirier.
Even though he rejects confrontation at first, Dustin understands the situation Hooker is trying to create. For the former interim champion, the promotion is part of the sport and Dan is trying to get on the Ultimate board's radar once and for all.
“I know what he's trying to do, and he's doing a good job. He's trying to make noise so that his plans work out his way. That's what he's doing. Hats off to him. But, at this moment, I want to accept a fight that motivates me and I'm not motivated for this one”, concluded the fighter.
No UFC 243, Hooker took to the Octagon to stage the biggest fight of his life. The athlete managed to be successful and, after the confrontation, jumped to seventh position in the category ranking. The request for a duel against Poirier, still in the octagon, was made with the aim of being able to face the one who, today, is in second place in the division. A win over Dustin, then, would put him in a great position to fight for the belt in the future.
The 'Diamante', in turn, has already stated his desire to return to action in a performance against Conor McGregor, who has not appeared since October last year, when he was beaten by Khabib at UFC 229. For Poirier, the confrontation against the Irishman could, in addition to yielding good numbers, put him, once again, in the front line for the UFC title. light.
Dan is coming off two consecutive wins for the organization. His last defeat came when he faced the Brazilian Edson Barboza, at UFC Milwaukee, in December last year. In his professional record, the New Zealander has 27 fights, with 19 wins and eight setbacks.
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