Poirier To Get Past Pettis At UFC Fight Night 120

In what should be a very enjoyable main event at UFC Fight Night 120 in Norfolk, Virginia, Dustin Poirier will do battle with Anthony Pettis in a lightweight bout that could have significant impacts on the rest of the lightweight division.

Dustin Poirier

Record: 21-5
Height: 5’9″ (175cm)
Reach: 73.0″ (185cm)

Could Dustin Poirier still be criminally underrated?

The 28-year-old has been fighting at just underneath the very top of the lightweight division’s best for years now and has five wins and one loss (and one no-contest) to his name recently. His only loss came against Michael Johnson at an unfortunate time, because a win would have bumped Poirier right up in the standings.

He bounced back immediately with a majority win over Jim Miller in what was awarded UFC 208 Fight of the Night. After that, it was Eddie Alvarez and the strange no-contest at UFC 211. Poirier was all over Alvarez early and had him badly hurt. But Alvarez recovered fast and somehow turned the fight around before unloading an ‘accidental’ illegal knee which ended the bout.

Anthony Pettis

Record: 20-6
Height: 5’10” (177cm)
Reach: 72.0″ (183cm)

You might not believe it but Anthony Pettis steps into the cage at UFC Fight Night 120 2-4 in his last six bouts.

The record alone doesn’t do his work justice because his losses have been against the likes of Rafael dos Anjos, Eddie Alvarez, Edson Barboza and Max Holloway. Regardless, Pettis is back in action in the lightweight division again and won a unanimous decision against Jim Miller at UFC 213.

Fight Breakdown

This fight really has the makings of an explosive contest between two experienced warriors who are looking to climb the lightweight rankings and earn a shot at the title.

Both of these guys, realistically, still have what it takes to reach the top. For Pettis, a former UFC champion, it would be his second time at the top. As for Poirier, he’s still looking to get that big victory to push him further up the list.

At first glance, this contest could come down to whether or not Anthony Pettis can keep Dustin Poirier from engaging with him inside boxing range. Poirier’s boxing has remarkably improved recently and he lit up Eddie Alvarez with ease in his most recent bout. But then again, that didn’t stop Michael Johnson from wasting him, either.

Pettis has toned back his ‘Showtime’ ability recently and that seems to be the key to success. He looked good in the first round against Max Holloway, but so did Jose Aldo. Pettis is definitely still an elite striker, especially when it comes to kicks and that might not ever change.

Prediction and Betting Guide

This fight is close but I’m getting the feeling that Dustin Poirier has a lot more to prove. He came close to finishing Eddie Alvarez and he won’t make the same mistake this time against Anthony Pettis. Poirier will just need to navigate past the waves of Pettis kicks and work his way inside before tagging him with heavy hands.

Dustin Poirier by KO/TKO (punches) – Round 3

Best Bet

Dustin Poirier vs. Anthony Pettis
Dustin Poirier to Win
Saturday, 11th November– 11:50 pm (ET) /  3:50am (GMT)
Odds: 2.10Bet €100 to win €21011/10Bet £100 to win £210+110Bet $100 to win $2101.10Bet HK$100 to win HK$2101.10Bet Rp100 to win Rp210-0.9091Bet RM100 to win RM210  – BetVictor