Dustin Poirier wanted to keep his momentum going at UFC 199 on Saturday.
Going 3-0 since returning to the lightweight division and coming off a win against Irish super-prospect Joe Duffy, the Diamond wanted another notch in his pommel in his ascent toward UFC gold.
Bobby Green just wanted to get things back on track.
After compiling an eight-fight winning streak in Strikeforce and the UFC, Green lost a disappointing unanimous decision to Edson Barboza in 2014. He's been out since due to a variety of knee injuries, and has been largely forgotten in the ever-shifting lightweight division.
Unfortunately, MMA isn't a sport where both competitors can get what they want. And at UFC 199, it was Green that went home empty-handed.
As soon as the bell sounded, Green went for the finish, pressing forward while throwing heavy hands and kicks. However, Poirier met that wild offense with a right hand that sent Green to the canvas. The fight turned on that exchange and Green immediately switched to a more defensive stance, allowing Poirier the freedom to work his ever-evolving boxing.
That, unfortunately, proved to be Green's undoing.
Poirier made the most of that space and started regularly tagging Green. Eventually, he sneaked a left hand behind Green's guard and sent him to the mat. A few more punches led to the finish at 2:53 in Round 1.
It's yet another amazing performance by Poirier. While many were initially skeptical when Poirier revealed he was leaving the featherweight division to move up to lightweight, his four wins over formidable competition have established him as a top-10 name. With a wide open 155-pound field, it's very possible he is competing for the title in 2017.
On the flip side, it's an absolutely devastating blow for Green. The former King of the Cage champion was a fringe top-10 name when he defeated Josh Thomson at UFC on Fox 12 but has faced unfortunate setback after unfortunate setback. Despite his extensive resume and eight years of experience, he is still young and fresh enough to bounce back from these setbacks—but nothing seems to ever break in his favor.
Here are some other notes and thoughts about this fight:
- At 145, Poirier was a good power puncher with some excellent finishing skills. Since moving up to 155, though, he is becoming a legitimately good striker, demonstrating improved accuracy and footwork.
- Poirier needs to fight a top-10 name after this. There are options in Anthony Pettis, Michael Johnson and Khabib Nurmagomedov. He needs to fight one of them, rather than another prospect or no-name veteran.
- Green is just 29 years old. That's amazing. It feels like a decade ago when he faced Dan Lauzon in Affliction.
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