Ladies and gentlemen, Dustin Poirier looked outstanding at UFC Fight Night 68.
Poirier blasted Yancy Medeiros time and again on the feet. He rocked Medeiros multiple times early on, but he failed to finish over the tough-as-nails Medeiros. Poirier got on his back and looked for the rear-naked choke but couldn't get it under the chin.
Poirier and Medeiros got back on their feet, and it wasn't long after that Poirier hurt Medeiros to the body. Once he was hurt, Poirier blasted him again with shot after shot. Finally, John McCarthy stepped in to save Medeiros from more punishment.
Let's take a look at what we learned from Poirier's destruction of Medeiros.
What We'll Remember About the Fight
Poirier's flurry of pinpoint accurate strikes.
It wasn't a one-shot knockout, or anything singular that put Medeiros out. It was a barrage of strikes. Poirier put it all over Medeiros, and there was little he could do about it. Poirier simply outclassed him on Saturday evening.
And he did it all within 2:38 of the first round.
What We Learned About Yancy Medeiros
We knew he was tough, but we learned he is very tough. He took massive shots from Poirier, but he did not get knocked out cold. He was calling for more at one point. Although, that proved not to be the smartest thing he has ever done.
Medeiros took a lot of punishment and ate most of it while staying upright.
What We Learned About Dustin Poirier
We learned he is a potential top-15 fighter. That is a big statement considering the depth in this division, but since moving up to lightweight, he has looked outstanding.
Poirier remarked in the post-fight interview that he feels great at 155, and it shows. He knocked out rising star Carlos Diego Ferreira and followed that up with his performance at UFC Fight Night 68 over Medeiros. He will need to prove himself against an already established top-15 fighter before entering the rankings, but he is well on his way.
What's Next for Yancy Medeiros
There is no shortage of options in the lightweight division, but perhaps Christos Giagos makes the most sense exiting Saturday's fight card.
They both competed on the same card, and both lost.
It puts them on the same timetable, and as neither are viable top stars in the division the UFC could cut the loser to make room for better prospects in the future.
What's Next for Dustin Poirier
In the post-fight interview, Poirier failed to call anyone out. He did say he wants to take some time off, but he looks to fight at least once more before the end of 2015. I would line up Poirier against the Al Iaquinta-Bobby Green winner. They meet at UFC Fight Night 71 on July 15.
They are both stylistic matchups that will provide fireworks. The winner would exit with a wealth of momentum as a top-10 lightweight.
Iaquinta's ground game would be a test for Poirier, but Poirier's athleticism would make it difficult for the Serra-Longo product to take it to the canvas. On the feet, it would be a battle of styles. Poirier is more loose and open with his striking, and he is more dynamic. Iaquinta brings in a developing boxing attack with big power.
Green is a bit more like Poirier with an open and athletic striking attack, but he does not throw as many kicks. It is a little bit better fight, on paper, than Iaquinta-Poirier as it is more well-matched, but both fights are stellar lightweight scraps.
I would love to see either of these fights, and it is something the UFC can look at during the latter part of 2015.
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