IT’S ON! Dustin Poirier to Finally Get His Hands on Dan Hooker

A matchup between Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker is in the works for UFC’s return to San Diego this May. This fight has been in the talks for a while and we didn’t know if we’d ever get to see it. A lot of back and forth went on between the two fighters, with call-outs all over the place.

Finally, things seem to have fallen in place. Even though the contacts are yet to be signed followed by an official announcement, San Diego’s main event is most likely the fight destination for these two.

Poirier stands at No. 3 in the lightweight rankings, and currently holds a record of 25-6 MMA, 17-5 UFC. His last outing was in September of 2019. He went up against Khabib Nurmagomedov in a title bout for the lightweight belt. He lost the fight against Khabib and hasn’t seen the insides of the octagon since.

Poirier almost made a return this January but had to pull out last minute due to injuries. He had to undergo hip surgery to repair his multiple tears in the labrum as well as reshape his femur bone. Dustin hopes to make a return as soon as possible, and San Diego looks like the right to make a comeback.

Dustin Poirier vs Dan Hooker rivalry

The entire Twitter back and forth between the two fighters was ignited by Dan Hooker back in October of 2019. Hooker called out Poirier right after his win over Al Laquinta. He took to the mic and called out Poirier saying, “I’m going to smash your face in. Meet me in New Zealand in 2020, and I’m going to end you!”

Hooker didn’t get the New Zealand fight against Poirier. But instead faced Paul Felder and won that one via a controversial split decision. Since his return to lightweight hooker is 7-1 in his last 8 fights. The 30-year-old “Hangman” is 20-8-0 overall. He will be looking for a title shot next after getting past his toughest opponent yet, Dustin Poirier.

UFC San Diego will be Dustin Poirier’s 6th main event in a row. Dan Hooker won’t be new to the limelight either, with this fight being the second main event of his career. Hooker finally gets his chance at Poirier, will he make it count?