While Dustin Poirier vs. Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 299 may have looked like a wild brawl (watch highlights here), there was a lot of training and technique that came into play with many of the exchanges between the two. Following his second round knockout win, Poirier revealed he’d been sharpening the right hook that finished the fight all through training camp.
Speaking to UFC.com backstage, “Diamond” recounted the finish to his thrilling “Fight of the Night” bonus-winning victory.
“He dipped down to throw an overhand and I caught him, split his timing with an uppercut and his legs kinda went,” Poirier said. “Then he came back up and he was loose — chin up, hands down, trying to hurt me.
“We practiced this in the back, I know UFC has the footage because the camera was back there,” he continued. “We were practicing catch, catch, fire the hook, catch catch, fire the hook. He fought my buddy Thiago Moises, and when he got Moises against the fence he starts throwing these combinations from the hip, gunslinging, and his chin’s in the air.
“He’s a decent puncher and a big guy, but he throws everything into every shot with not the best technique,” Poirier concluded. “That’ll come, he’s still young. But, we saw a lot of openings, and I really felt that right hook was gonna be there. And boy was it.”
The win puts Poirier back in the win column after a disappointing head kick knockout loss to Justin Gaethje back in July 2023 (watch it). Win or lose, every Poirier fight delivers fireworks, and we can only hope UFC doesn’t leave him on the sidelines for another eight months.
For complete UFC 299 results and play-by-play, click HERE.
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
