Dustin Poirier proved he still belongs in the upper heap of lightweight competitors on Saturday when he beat Dan Hooker in one of the best fights of the year at UFC on ESPN 12.
Poirier (26-6 MMA, 18-6 UFC) rebounded from his title unification loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov in September with a unanimous decision win over Hooker in the June 27 headliner, which took place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. “The Diamond” put on another classic that lived up to his reputation, and now he’s 6-1 (with one no contest) in his past eight fights.
That means change in the 155-pound division, but also in the pound-for-pound rankings, too.
Poirier’s entrance into the pound-for-pound rankings, caused a shift in the bottom half of the polls due to some head-to-head matchups from his past with other members of the list.
Fortunately, MMA Junkie’s “Gorgeous” George Garcia and John Morgan are here to sort out all the complicated dynamics for the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings. So make sure to watch the video above to catch up with the aftermath of another night of fights in Sin City.
