Violence seems to follow Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker wherever they go, so it only seems natural that their paths would one day cross.
The two Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight contenders will square off in the UFC on ESPN 12 headliner this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, as they look to keep their spot in the line that has formed behind Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje. Meanwhile, Mike Perry faces Mickey Gall in the three-round welterweight co-main event.
Poirier, 31, last fought at UFC 242 in September, when he submitted to a third-round rear-naked choke from Nurmagomedov and failed in his bid to unseat the undefeated Russian as 155-pound champion. The American Top Team representative has delivered 19 of his 25 professional victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission. Poirier has never suffered back-to-back losses in his 32-fight career.
Operating out of the City Kickboxing camp in his native New Zealand, Hooker enters the cage with the wind of a three-fight winning streak in his sails. The 30-year-old last competed at UFC Fight Night 168, where he eked out a contentious split decision over Paul Felder on Feb. 23. Hooker has compiled a 7-1 record since he returned to the lightweight division in 2017, bowing only to former Ring of Combat champion Edson Barboza.
UFC on ESPN 12 “Poirier vs. Hooker”—which airs live on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT—will also feature a middleweight clash matching Brendan Allen with Kyle Daukaus, a 150-pound catchweight tilt pitting Sean Woodson against Julian Erosa and a pair of heavyweight scraps, as Philipe Lins meets Tanner Boser and Maurice Greene confronts Gian Villante. In addition, ESPN will provide coverage of the entire four-fight undercard, starting at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.
A closer look at the UFC on ESPN 12 “Poirier vs. Hooker” particulars:
THE LINEUP
155: Dustin Poirier vs. Dan Hooker170: Mike Perry vs. Mickey Gall
185: Brendan Allen vs. Kyle Daukaus
265: Maurice Greene vs. Gian Villante
265: Philipe Lins vs. Tanner Boser
150: Sean Woodson vs. Julian Erosa
155: Luis Pena vs. Khama Worthy
170: Takashi Sato vs. Jason Witt
115: Kay Hansen vs. Jinh Yu Frey
145: Jordan Griffin vs. Youssef Zalal
THE RUNDOWN
• Preview: Main Card• Preview: Prelims
• Weigh-in Report
• Prime Picks
• By The Numbers: Poirier vs. Hooker
• By The Numbers: Perry vs. Gall
• Pettry: If a Fighter Falls in the Roster, Does He Make a Sound?
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