The UFC Fight Night 94 event in Hidalgo, Texas, has its main event, with Michael Johnson confirming his return against Dustin Poirier for the five-round headliner on Sept. 17.
The 30-year-old Johnson fights for the first time since December of last year, where he dropped a decision to Nate Diaz in the “Fight of the Night” at UFC on Fox 17. He’s lost two straight into this matchup, though the previous decision to Beneil Dariush last August should have arguably gone down as his fifth straight win.
As for Poirier, the former featherweight contender has been fantastic since moving up to lightweight, winning four straight fights and scoring three first round knockouts in the process. The most recent of those came just a month ago, where he knocked out Bobby Green at UFC 199.
Penick’s Analysis: That’s a really good fight in the lightweight division. It gives both fighters a main event slot not too far from home, with Johnson out of St. Louis and Poirier out of Lafayette. This could be a potential showcase for Poirier, who can make a case for a no. 1 contender fight next with a win. For Johnson, halting his two fight losing streak against a fighter on a run the likes Poirier brings to this fight is huge. It’s a great matchup, and a solid main event for a Fox Sports 1 card.
[Photo (c) Jake Roth via USA Today Sports]
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