It’s not everyday you get to witness an instant classic. But every once in a while, something happens that just leaps out of the ordinary. When Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier met former UFC lightweight champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis at UFC Fight Night 120 last Sunday in Norfolk, Virginia, fans were expecting a pretty good scrap. What they got instead was an all-out war.
Poirier locked horns with Pettis before a packed crowd at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. And fans definitely got their money’s worth.
Midway through round three, Poirier was able to force a tap from Pettis, inexplicably with just a body triangle. A rare occurrence in this sport. No one taps from a simple body triangle, but by this time, the two men were completely spent and it definitely showed.
It’s a tough spot for Pettis, the former king at Lightweight, to be in. He’s now lost 4 of his last 6 fights. But his performance against Poirier suggests he’s not quite done yet, despite a losing effort.
What Forced the Tap? Poirier Reveals What He Thinks Forced The Issue
While it isn’t far-fetched that Pettis would tap to a body triangle, it’s certainly something that just doesn’t happen in the UFC. Turns out, a broken rib is just the type of injury that sounds completely plausible.
“I think it was a broken man more than a broken rib,” Poirier said at the post-fight press conference. “But that’s my thoughts, you know. I think … hopefully nothing is wrong with the guy. But I felt like the fight was slowly slipping away from him after the cut and after the takedowns, he realized I was strong and I was gonna stay on top. He couldn’t submit me.”
“When the doctor came in, I was kind of wondering why it was taking so long,” Poirier said. “And I kept seeing the doctor wipe and look at the ref and talk and then wipe his eye and his nose again.
“I thought they were gonna stop the fight, really. Because it was taking too long and he kept talking to the ref. But they let it go on. I’m happy for it.”
“Those deep, dog fights — I love that,” Poirier said. “That’s why I fight. Those opportunities, those kind of scrambles, that’s why I get up in the morning and go for runs and push myself harder, because I love to fight. When it was happening, I was just happy that I was in that kind of fight. The crowd was going nuts every time we switched. It was a lot of fun, man.”
"Winner of Gaethje/Alvarez. Be another bloodbath. Another FOTN. Another main event." – @DustinPoirier on what's next https://t.co/Nis6vptDRD
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) November 12, 2017
UFC Fight Night 120 Complete Results
Dustin Poirier vs. Anthony Pettis — Poirier def. Pettis by submission (injury) at 2:08
Matt Brown vs. Diego Sanchez — Brown def. Sanchez by KO (elbow) at 3:44 of Round One
Junior Albini vs. Andrei Arlovski — Arlovski def. Albini by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 x2)
Cezar Ferreira vs. Nate Marquardt — Ferreira def. Marquardt by split decision (28-29, 29-28 x2)
Raphael Assuncao vs. Matthew Lopez — Assuncao def. Lopez by KO (punch) at 1:50 of Round Three
Clay Guida vs. Joe Lauzon — Guida def. Lauzon by TKO (punches and elbows) at 1:07 of Round One
John Dodson vs. Marlon Moraes — Moraes def. Dodson by split decision (30-27, 27-30, 30-27)
Viviane Pereira vs. Tatiana Suarez — Suarez def. Pereira by unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 30-26)
Sage Northcutt vs. Michel Quinones — Northcutt def. Quinones by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
Nina Ansaroff vs. Angela Hill — Ansaroff def. Hill by unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
Court McGee vs. Sean Strickland — Strickland def. McGee by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)
Jake Collier vs. Marcel Fortuna — Collier def. Fortuna by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)
Karl Roberson vs. Darren Stewart — Roberson def. Stewart by submission (rear naked choke) at 3:41 of Round One
