UFC Hidalgo: Poirier vs Johnson Post-Fight Thoughts

Michael Johnson stunned Dustin Poirier at UFC Hidalgo, and in doing so helped clear things up at the top of the lightweight division.

Despite being a heavy underdog going into the main event at UFC Hidalgo, Michael Johnson came out and put on a show-stopping performance in knocking out the heavy hitting Dustin Poirier in the first round. Ranked eighth going into the fight, Johnson got a much-needed victory to avoid falling out of the top ten.

“The Menace” ended his two-fight losing skid in devastating fashion, landing a right-hook and straight left that dropped Poirier early. He needed only a few strikes on the ground before referee Dan Miragliotta stopped the fight.

For Johnson, the victory went a long way in keeping him relevant in the lightweight rankings. In a post-fight interview on FOX Sports 1, Johnson expressed interest in facing opponents such as Khabib Nurmagomedov or Anthony Pettis, the latter having called out Johnson on social media following the fight.

Prior to his recent slump, he had been on a four fight win-streak that included a victory over fourth-ranked Edson Barboza. He also holds a 2012 victory over current surging lightweight Tony Ferguson. With the victory over Poirier, he lines himself up to face another opponent ranked in the top ten such as Michael Chiesa.

For “The Diamond,” the loss to Johnson halts any talk of being on the short list for a title shot in the lightweight division. Riding a four fight win-streak going into the bout, a victory for Poirier would have warranted a shot at top-five names such as Nate Diaz or Edson Barboza in bouts that could have earned him his first UFC title-shot.

At just 27-years-old, Poirier certainly has time on his side. However, he has been in the UFC since 2011 and the loss to Conor McGregor remains his most high profile bout to date. His victory over top featherweight contender Max Holloway stands out on his record, however it occurred in the latter’s UFC debut. Holloway has vastly evolved in his skill-set since then.

Despite several runs of success, Poirier has yet to acquire that signature victory over a big-name contender that would solidify him at the top of either division. There is no doubt that he is one of the more dangerous fighters in the UFC’s lighter weight classes, but as has been discussed here on Cage Pages, this setback begins to raise the question of whether or not Poirier has it in him to make it to the championship level.

Regardless, Michael Johnson leaves the night as the big winner and likely gives himself a marquee fight in his next outing. As the lightweight division awaits to see what’s next with champion Eddie Alvarez, Johnson has helped to clear the congestion at the very top.