UFC 257

After her big knockout win at UFC 257, what’s next for Marina Rodriguez?

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Heading into UFC 257, all of the attention was on Amanda Ribas (10-2) when it came to the PPV opener. Ribas had a ton of hype behind her and many believed that she was the next big thing at strawweight.

However, Marina Rodriguez (13-1-2) was ready to make a statement at UFC 257. Despite both of these strawweight contenders being ranked around the same spot, all of the attention was on Ribas.

For Ribas to win, she was going to need to get this fight to the ground. Rodriguez has incredible standup skills, but she’s been in trouble when facing good grapplers. With that in mind, she really struggled in the first round at UFC 257.

In the first round, Ribas was able to land a takedown. Once on the ground, Ribas controlled Rodriguez for the majority of the round and landed some nice shots. However, the second round was a completely different story.

Ribas didn’t go for a takedown in the second round. Instead, she stood in the pocket with Rodriguez and she paid for it. Seconds into the round, Rodriguez dropped and hurt Ribas badly.

Rodriguez followed up with some shots and Herb Dean seemed to step in. She moved away to celebrate the win before realizing that the fight wasn’t stopped. Rodriguez then stepped right back in and finished Ribas off with a vicious elbow to close the show at UFC 257.

What’s next after UFC 257?

On the biggest stage against an opponent with a ton of hype, Marina Rodriguez performed at her very best. Her knockout win at UFC 257 is the biggest win of her career and it’s huge for her position in the strawweight division.

The new rankings just came out today and Rodriguez has moved up to sixth in the UFC’s strawweight division. With that big win on that stage, it appears that Rodriguez will get a big name in her next fight.

In looking at the strawweight division, I think a good fight for Rodriguez would be Michelle Waterson (18-8). Waterson is coming off of a big win over Angela Hill back in September and since 2018, she’s only lost to former champions.

The Karate Hottie is currently ranked two spots behind Rodriguez at eight. However, she has a big following and she’s a big name. The winner of that fight would be in a great position to challenge someone in the UFC’s top five.

State of the lightweight division after UFC 257

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This past weekend at UFC 257, Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC) and Conor McGregor (22-5) had their highly anticipated rematch. The lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0), was watching and trying to decide if he wanted to come back to fighting.

Dustin Poirier had the performance of a lifetime. After losing the first round on all three scorecards, Poirier came back to TKO McGregor in the second round at UFC 257 and proved that he’s the best lightweight in the world not named Khabib Nurmagomedov.

After the event was over, many were wondering what Khabib would do. Khabib had retired after UFC 254 when he dominated Justin Gaethje (22-3) to retain his lightweight title. However, Dana White said that if someone enticed him to come back, he would.

At the UFC 257 post-fight press conference, Dana White said that it didn’t look good for Khabib coming back. At the end of the day, Nurmagomedov dominated the three best lightweights in the UFC in his last three fights. Not only that, but he finished all three of them.

State of the UFC’s lightweight division

For the sake of this, let’s take Khabib out of the question. The number one lightweight in the UFC is Dustin Poirier. He’s proved that over the last few years and now he’s stopped both Conor McGregor and Justin Gaethje.

Right behind Poirier you have McGregor and Gaethje. Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC) is currently on an eight-fight win streak and Poirier said after the fight that he’s probably the most deserving guy in the division of a UFC title shot.

Also at UFC 257, Michael Chandler (22-5) made his debut against Dan Hooker (20-10). Chandler knocked Hooker out in the first round to secure his third straight first round knockout on Saturday night. He’s expected to be in the top five when the rankings come out.

The wildcard in the lightweight division is Nate Diaz (20-12). Diaz is one of the biggest stars in the sport and he’s returning to the lightweight division. After UFC 257, Diaz called for a fight against Dustin Poirier. 

Needless to say, the lightweight division is stacked. Poirier is going to be fighting for the title in his next fight. There are questions around who that will be. Poirier said that he’s only interested in three opponents: McGregor, Diaz, and Oliveira.

However, Dana White said that he believed that Chandler should get the shot at Poirier. If I had to take a guess, I think the UFC is going to put Poirier against Diaz or McGregor for the title. Those are the two biggest fights to make and that’s what The Diamond wants. Fun times ahead at lightweight.

After devastating loss at UFC 257, what’s next for Dan Hooker?

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In the co-main event of UFC 257, Dan Hooker (20-10) got the opportunity to welcome Michael Chandler (22-5) to the promotion. Hooker had been stating in interviews that he wanted to break the UFC’s new toy.

However, that didn’t happen on Saturday night. Hooker never got the chance to really get into the fight. As soon as the fight started, Chandler pushed forward with a lot of pressure. Hooker circled on the outside, but he seemed a little tentative.

It appeared that he was just trying to gauge the timing and closing speed of the UFC newcomer. Hooker threw a couple of nice leg kicks one of which seemed to really get Michael Chandler’s attention.

However, right after that kick landed, the fight would come to a close. Chandler pushed forward with a straight right to the body and followed with a massive left hook that sent Hooker crashing to the canvas. Several follow up shots forced Marc Goddard to call a stop to the action.

What’s next after UFC 257?

This is a crushing loss for Dan Hooker and he showed it after the fight. Hooker threw his gloves down in the octagon and walked out of the cage extremely dejected. There hasn’t been a word from the Hooker camp since the fight.

Normally when a fighter lays his gloves in the octagon, it signals that the fighter is done. However, let’s just go with the assumption that he was upset and he still plans on competing in the UFC‘s lightweight division.

That said, what should come next for Hooker? Realistically, I think there are a couple of options out there. One fun option would be a fight with Tony Ferguson (25-5). Both men are currently on two-fight losing streaks to some of the best guys in the world.

It would be a do or die fight for both men which could make it a lot of fun. That said, if we want to look a little further down the division, a fight with someone like Kevin Lee (18-6) could make sense for Dan Hooker.

Lee is coming off of an injury, but he’s just 1-3 in his last four fights. This could be a good fight for either man to get back on track. I really hope we haven’t seen the last of The Hangman after Saturday night.

After winning his UFC debut, what’s next for Michael Chandler?

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This past Saturday at UFC 257, Michael Chandler (22-5) made his highly anticipated promotional debut. Chandler competed in the co-main event against Dan Hooker (20-10) and many were expecting it to be a tough fight for Chandler.

However, Michael Chandler made a massive statement at UFC 257. Chandler was extremely aggressive in the first round and never gave Hooker the opportunity to get comfortable inside the octagon.

Hooker was being pressured along the cage and never really got a chance to start throwing. Halfway through the round, Chandler through a right straight to the body and followed with a massive left hook up top.

That hook put Hooker down and Chandler followed up with a couple of shots that gave him the knockout win at UFC 257. There were high expectations for Chandler and he passed with flying colors on Saturday night.

What’s next after UFC 257?

Immediately following UFC 257, Dana White said that Chandler would likely meet Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC) for the vacant UFC lightweight title. This is of course assuming that Khabib Nurmagomedov remains retired.

The promotion seemed keen on capitalizing on the eyeballs that were on the card Saturday night. However, Dustin Poirier didn’t sound too enthusiastic about fighting Michael Chandler after Saturday night.

In his post-fight press conference, Poirier made it clear that he wouldn’t be fighting Michael Chandler next. He talked about the fact that Chandler only has one win in the UFC and that shouldn’t warrant a title shot.

In all honesty, I can see where he’s coming from. However, at the end of the day, what the UFC want is ultimately what will happen. That said, I tend to believe that Chandler will not be fighting for the title next.

Chandler strikes me as the type of guy who’s willing to take another fight to prove the point that he deserves the shot. If there’s difficulty in making a UFC title fight for him, I could see him taking on another top contender.

One guy that I think makes a lot of sense for Chandler is Justin Gaethje (22-3). Gaethje is the fight that Chandler originally wanted and he was just the interim UFC lightweight champion. If Chandler can beat Gaethje, there’s no denying the fact that he deserves a title shot.

Nate Diaz wants a shot at Dustin Poirier after UFC 257

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This past weekend at UFC 257, Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC) had the performance of his career against Conor McGregor (22-5). Poirier was looking to get his revenge after McGregor had knocked him out six years ago.

The Diamond had some success in the first round, however, McGregor was getting the better of the exchanges. Poirier admitted after the fight that he was hurt in the first round, but McGregor failed to pounce on him.

In the second round, Poirier started butchering the lead leg of the former two-division UFC champion. About two minutes into the round, Poirier landed a leg kick and McGregor’s leg was completely shot.

Poirier pressed McGregor up against the fence and attacked him viciously. After initially defending well, McGregor was caught with a couple of clean rights that put him down and Poirier got the massive knockout win at UFC 257.

In the post-fight press conference, Poirier said only a couple of opponents are interesting to him at this point. He mentioned the trilogy with McGregor, but he also said he wants a fight with Nate Diaz (20-12). Diaz made it clear that he wants that fight too.

Will the UFC book Poirier – Diaz?

Originally, Poirier and Diaz were supposed to fight at UFC 230. However, Poirier had to pull out of the fight with an injury. Diaz has maintained for years that Poirier had been ducking him which is why he pulled out of the fight.

Recently, it was announced that Diaz would be returning to the UFC’s lightweight division. However, at this time we don’t know who the opponent would be for Diaz. Dana White has said that the promotion did have an opponent in mind.

In reality, Diaz and Poirier don’t make sense from a UFC rankings perspective. Diaz hasn’t fought at lightweight in years and Poirier should be fighting for the title in his next fight. However, we know that the promotion sometimes overlooks the rankings.

If Poirier is adamant about fighting Diaz next, the UFC could make it happen. I think a more likely fight with Diaz would be the trilogy with McGregor, however, Stockton’s own has made it clear that he wants The Diamond next.

After knocking out Conor McGregor at UFC 257, what’s next for Dustin Poirier?

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For six years Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC) has wanted to get back his loss to Conor McGregor (22-5). He finally got his chance at UFC 257. McGregor and Poirier headlined last night’s PPV in an event that was pivotal for the lightweight division.

There is no doubting the fact that Dustin Poirier is way better than he was at UFC 178. The questions were whether or not he’s been able to catch up to Conor McGregor or surpass him during that time. Last night, we emphatically got our answer.

Poirier is known for being a slow starter and he did lose the first round at UFC 257. He did have his moments, but McGregor seemed to get the better of the striking exchanges and even landed some of his shoulder strikes.

However, Poirier was still there after the thirst. In the post-fight press conference, Poirier admitted that McGregor really stunned him with a shot in the first. He said that if McGregor would have pushed forward, he thinks he’d have been in a lot of trouble.

However, McGregor didn’t push forward. During these exchanges, Poirier was racking up the leg kicks. By the second round at UFC 257, they had really done a lot of damage. One really wobbled McGregor and Poirier pounced. He transitioned to power shots from that and put McGregor to sleep.

What’s next after UFC 257?

I was truly blown away by the performance of Dustin Poirier last night at UFC 257. He took some really good shots, but he stayed composed and did what was needed to get the job done against Conor McGregor.

There is no questioning the fact that Dustin Poirier should be fighting for the UFC lightweight title next. The question is more around who he will fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0) retiring.

Dana White said that the UFC wants to book Poirier against Michael Chandler (22-5) for the lightweight title. However, Poirier said in the post-fight press conference that he doesn’t have any interest in fighting Chandler.

Poirier said that the only UFC fights he’s interested in is the trilogy fight with McGregor or fighting Nate Diaz (20-12). Diaz and Poirier were supposed to fight a couple of years ago before Poirier got injured.

Time will tell what will happen, but The Diamond should be getting a title shot no matter who he fights. One thing for sure is that Poirier made it clear that he’s the UFC’s best lightweight not named Khabib last night.

After getting stopped at UFC 257, what’s next for Conor McGregor?

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Conor McGregor, UFC

Last night at UFC 257, the fight world was turned upside down. Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC) utilized a beautiful game plan and stopped Conor McGregor (22-5) in the second round of their rematch.

McGregor had a lot of success in the first round at UFC 257. Upon rewatching the fight, I noticed that McGregor appeared to briefly wobble Poirier a couple of times in the first round. However, he never pushed the action afterwards.

It appeared that McGregor was a little too patient in there. Meanwhile, Poirier took McGregor’s shots and he wouldn’t go away in the first. In the second round, Poirier really started to connect with devastating leg kicks.

A couple of minutes into the round and McGregor buckled after a brutal kick from Poirier. Sensing that McGregor was badly hurt, Poirier swarmed. McGregor dodged some big shots at first, but Poirier was able to land a brutal combination to end things.

The loss at UFC 257 was the first time that McGregor has been stopped by strikes in his career. In reality, it was the first time we’ve seen him really hurt badly on the feet. He’s been stunned a couple of times, but Poirier put him out.

What’s next after UFC 257?

I was very encouraged to hear McGregor at the UFC 257 post-fight press conference. McGregor made it clear that he doesn’t plan on walking away. He also said in his interview in the octagon that he believes inactivity really bit him in this fight.

After last night, it will be back to the drawing board for McGregor. Fortunately for the former UFC champion, the problems from last night are easy to identify. His inability to properly check Poirier’s leg kicks is what did him in.

If the main event was just a boxing match with MMA gloves, McGregor was getting the better of it. McGregor was even getting the better of some of the grappling exchanges that occurred in the fight.

However, a very poised Dustin Poirier found a weakness in the McGregor armor. When he found that weakness, he attacked it viscously. Unlike McGregor, Poirier fought with a killer instinct and he won because of it.

I think the UFC has a very clear next step for Conor McGregor. The next step is the trilogy fight with Nate Diaz (20-12). Diaz is returning to the lightweight division and both men are coming off losses. It’s a massive fight and really the only one that makes sense for Conor McGregor at this time.

UFC: If Khabib stays retired, Poirier will fight Chandler for the title per Dana White

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UFC, Dana White

What a night it was at UFC 257. We saw some shocking results and some incredible fights. Of course, the headlines everywhere will be talking about how Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC) knocked out Conor McGregor (22-5) in the second round.

After a good first round for McGregor, Poirier really started to hurt him with leg kicks. A couple of minutes into the second round and McGregor really wobbled from a big calf kick. Poirier swarmed and landed some shots up top that put McGregor down. 

Poirier proved he’s the best lightweight in the UFC not named Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0). Just one fight before Poirier, Michael Chandler (22-5) announced his presence against Dan Hooker (20-10) in the co-main event.

Chandler knocked out Hooker with a vicious left hand and follow up shots. There were a lot of questions about Michael Chandler entering UFC 257 and he answered all of them tonight.

During the post-fight press conference, Dana White was asked about the champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. White said that it didn’t look positive in terms of Khabib coming back to fight again which means the UFC‘s lightweight title is up for grabs. White already has a plan for the title.

UFC’s next lightweight title fight

Dana White told the media after UFC 257 that Dustin Poirier would be fighting Michael Chandler for the lightweight title next. This is of course assuming Khabib decides to stay retired.

Both men are coming off of incredible performances on the biggest stage possible. It makes perfect sense for the UFC to capitalize on the momentum of both fighters after such a massive event.

There are a lot of fans who will probably feel for Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC). Oliveira is currently riding a eight-fight win streak at lightweight. He just dismantled Tony Ferguson (25-5) back at UFC 256.

However, Ferguson is really the only big win that he has. Ferguson’s stock is also not as high after he was destroyed by Justin Gaethje (22-3) earlier in 2020. My guess is that the promotion will book Gaethje – Oliveira.

I think the fight that makes the most sense for the title is Chandler – Poirier. Two incredible performances and two athletes that will bring it for the UFC. 2021 should be a fun year for the lightweight division.

Dustin Poirier knocks out Conor McGregor at UFC 257

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dustin poirier, ufc

In the main event of UFC 257, the biggest star in the sport made his return. Former two-division champion, Conor McGregor (22-4), took on Dustin Poirier (26-6, 1 NC) in a rematch of their first fight that took place at UFC 178.

McGregor was fighting for the first time in almost a year exactly. He took on Cowboy Cerrone back at UFC 246 to kickoff 2020, but that was the last we saw of him. The promotion held out to try and get him in front of fans, and as a result, he briefly retired.

McGregor went through some hard times with the UFC, but the relationship has been prepared and McGregor was back tonight. With a win over Poirier, McGregor would solidify that he’s still one of the very best fighters in the world.

UFC 257 was a massive opportunity for Dustin Poirier. After that first loss to Conor McGregor, Poirier moved up from featherweight to lightweight. His career has taken off and he even became the interim UFC champion.

Over the last few years, the only man to get the best of Poirier was Khabib Nurmagomedov. This rematch was a big chance for Poirier to right the wrong of six years ago and prove that he’s the top contender at 155 pounds.

UFC 257 Recap

Round 1

The UFC 257 main event kicked off with a quick start from McGregor. McGregor opened with a clean jab and a left hand but Poirier took it well. Poirier landed a nice right hand counter on McGregor.

Within 30 seconds, Poirier shot in for a takedown and got McGregor down. McGregor worked his way back up to the fence, but Poirier was holding him well. McGregor worked his way up and reversed Poirier against the fence.

Poirier was popped with a clean shoulder strike from McGregor. McGregor was then reversed against the fence by Dustin Poirier. Poirier was putting all his weight on McGregor against the fence here in the first round.

McGregor landed a very solid knee to the body as Poirier continued to look for a takedown. Poirier tried hard for the takedown, but McGregor was able to reverse the position again against the fence.

McGregor landed a clean elbow as the two men broke. Once they were at distance, McGregor landed a clean left hand that forced the shot from Poirier. McGregor started really opening up and catching Poirier.

The speed advantage was very evident in the first round. Poirier landed a few really nice leg kicks that caught McGregor’s attention. Both men land in the final ten seconds. Despite the takedown, I lean McGregor in round 1 at UFC 257.

Round 2

The second round at UFC 257 kicked off with another push forward from McGregor. McGregor opened with a jab, but he was wobbled by a leg kick. Poirier was briefly wobbled by a right hand, but he recovered well.

Both men then traded massive leg kicks. Poirier badly hurt McGregor with a big leg kick and McGregor wasn’t checking any of them. He tried to throw another but McGregor caught it and threw a big counter.

Poirier continued to pound the leg kicks that were hurting McGregor. A massive leg kick buckled McGregor and he stormed McGregor with hooks. McGregor was badly hurt and a massive hook puts him down for good. Goodness gracious Dustin Poirier knocks out Conor McGregor at UFC 257

Dustin Poirier def. Conor McGregor by KO – Round 2

Michael Chandler knocks out Dan Hooker in the first at UFC 257

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The co-main event of UFC 257 featured a pivotal matchup in the lightweight division. Dan Hooker (20-9) was set to welcome former Bellator lightweight champion, Michael Chandler (21-5) to the UFC.

The winner of tonight’s fight was expected to be a major factor in the title picture. As mentioned, Michael Chandler was making his anticipated debut with the UFC after signing with the promotion back in September.

Chandler came into the co-main event on a two-fight win streak which included a first round knockout over former UFC champion, Benson Henderson. Chandler wanted to jump right in with the sharks and he got his opportunity tonight.

It doesn’t get much tougher in the lightweight division than The Hangman. Dan Hooker has completely turned his career around since moving to the lightweight division a few years ago.

Since moving up in weight, he’s gone 7-2 with his only losses coming to Edson Barboza and Dustin Poirier. A win over Michael Chandler tonight would have put Hooker in prime position in the UFC‘s lightweight division.

UFC 257 Recap

Round 1

The UFC 257 co-main event of the evening kicked off with a brief touch of the gloves. Chandler immediately looked to close the distance and Hooker through a nice leg kick. Hooker was flicking leg kicks while circling on the outside.

A minute in and nothing big from Michael Chandler. Hooker seemed content with throwing from the outside. Chandler throws a big body shot to kick off his striking, but it was more of a glancing blow.

Hooker was continuously working the low kicks in the first. Chandler presses Hooker against the fence and he was throwing heat, but nothing major landed. Out of no where Michael Chandler lands a massive left hook and down goes Hooker.

Chandler followed up with a few shots and it’s over. Michael Chandler knocks out Dan Hooker in his UFC debut.

Michael Chandler def. Dan Hooker by KO – Round 1