ROUNDTABLE: Who wins the Dustin Poirier vs. Anthony Pettis and why?

Who wins the Dustin Poirier vs. Anthony Pettis and why?

RICK MONSEY, MMATorch Contributor

Dustin Poirier is going to beat Anthony Pettis.  Poirier is on a good streak as he has strung together some impressive wins.  Even in his recent loss he looked good.  Meanwhile Pettis hasn’t seemed to be able to capture the same athletic magic he once had.  It should be a fun fight to watch regardless.

RAFFAEL IGLESIAS, MMATorch Contributor

Winner Poirier

I think Dustin Poirier will try and set the pace for this match. After the no contest with Eddie Alvarez, a fight he was dominating, I believe he’ll be a more determined and hungrier fighter.

I think Dustin will try and come in and get close to Anthony and eliminate some of his flashier offense. I think he’s going to try and stay inside with him and beat him up with his boxing. If this fight gets messy I see Dustin Poirier as the much grittier fighter than Anthony Pettis.

I don’t count Pettis out however; he is extremely talented and could catch him and knock him out with a flying power ranger kick. Flash vs. grit and determination. I’ve got the grit in a second round TKO.

DAVE KOULA, MMATorch Contributor

Super interesting fight that really depends on which Pettis shows up.  Sometimes the guy is a world beater, other times he’s a letdown.  At this point he’s won two of his last six, and the two wins he had were big steps down from the level he’s been fighting at. Poirier is constantly overlooked because he doesn’t have a signature win.  I suspect this might be the one.  Poirier by TKO in the later rounds.

FRANK HYDEN, MMATorch Contributor

I’m going with Poirier. I just don’t know if I trust Pettis to get it done. He’s got the talent to be a top-level guy, but he’s tumbled so far from what he was that it’s hard to pick him against a good fighter in Poirier. This should be a good, close fight, but I think Poirier pulls off the submission late in the third round. I’d love to see Showtime Pettis return, but I have to see it to believe it.

JOHN HARRIS, MMATorch Contributor

I will go with Anthony Pettis by unanimous decision. Pettis should have never moved away from the 155 lb. division. He suffered a few tough losses before the move to 145 but its clear now that physically he is a better fit at 155. This should be a very competitive and high energy fight. Both men are good strikers with different styles. Poirier is a brawler with very good boxing. Pettis has quick hands to go along with powerful kicks from all different angles. I look for Pettis to use his superior footwork to keep Poirier at distance and score enough points to pull out the win.

JOSHUA GARCIA, MMATorch Contributor

Anthony Pettis will win against Dustin Poirier due to better overall striking.  I think this fight lines up with what Pettis wants in a fight.  He doesn’t have to deal with a tenacious wrestler and Poirier has good striking, but still not on par with what Pettis has to offer.  I predict that Pettis will win via KO in round 3.

COLE HENRY, MMATorch Contributor

I honestly have no idea. I don’t think Pettis is the same guy that he was, but it’s also really hard to gauge Poirier right now. My gut tells me that Pettis will win, probably a hard-fought decision or a late round stoppage but this one is really up in the air for me.

SEAN COVINGTON, MMATorch Contributor

Anthony Pettis should win but we’ve all said that about 90% of his losses. Anthony Pettis just isn’t disciplined enough in a particular style to be effective anymore. A win for Dustin Poirier doesn’t mean he’s necessarily going anywhere though.

NOW CHECK OUT THE PREVIOUS ROUNDTABLE: Who wins the Matt Brown vs. Diego Sanchez fight and why?