UFC Fight Night 94: Johnson vs. Poirier

[THE_LOCKSMITH]

FS1, 10 p.m. ET
Michael Johnson vs Dustin Poirier
Derek Brunson vs Uruah Hall
Evan Dunham vs Rick Glenn
Albert Morales vs Alejandro Perez
Roan Carneiro vs Kenny Robertson
Islam Makhachev vs Chris Wade

FS1, 8 p.m. ET
Gabriel Benitez vs Sam sicilia
Agusto Montano vs Belal Muhammad
Joey Gomez vs Jose Quinonez

UFC Fight Pass, 7 p.m. ET
Randy Brown vs Erick Montano
Maximo Blanco vs Chas Skelly

[Hugo de Naranja]

Happy to see this thread up again!

[THE_LOCKSMITH]

hopefully Thrilla's tomfoolery does not take this thread out.

[JIBBBY]

Michael Johnson vs Dustin Poirier is a hell of a fight!!!!.

Not sure which way that stand up war will go? If Dustin doesn't get dropped, he'll probably be the more technical fighter and out point to win by decision.. Couldn't blame anyone for taking MJ in this fight though..

Brunson for me in the Co main.. I guess Hall could land one of his crazy kicks and what not but I'm not betting on that.. Brunson is a beast.. DB is on a nice little win streak also.. I think he takes it to Hall in this fight...http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Derek-Brunson-68494

[Hugo de Naranja]

Michael Johnson vs Dustin Poirier is a hell of a fight!!!!.

Not sure which way that stand up war will go? If Dustin doesn't get dropped, he'll probably be the more technical fighter and out point to win by decision.. Couldn't blame anyone for taking MJ in this fight though..

Brunson for me in the Co main.. I guess Hall could land one of his crazy kicks and what not but I'm not betting on that.. Brunson is a beast.. DB is on a nice little win streak also.. I think he takes it to Hall in this fight...http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Derek-Brunson-68494

Dustin is going to torch Johnson. He's probably better everywhere although there's an outside chance he gets countered and dropped, especially early. Poirier has finished some very tough outs early and all of his and Johnson's career finishes are in R1 or R2 so I like the Under 2.5 (+140) for a play as well.

[Hugo de Naranja]

Calling my shot: Dustin Poirier is the LW champ within 18 months of today.

[JIBBBY]

Dustin is going to torch Johnson. He's probably better everywhere although there's an outside chance he gets countered and dropped, especially early. Poirier has finished some very tough outs early and all of his and Johnson's career finishes are in R1 or R2 so I like the Under 2.5 (+140) for a play as well.

I agree but Michael Johnson has a granite chin and will be coming forward all fight long.. I don't think DP gets the early out in this fight, he's gonna have to deal with a tough hard nosed Michael Johnson for 3 rounds.. DP's chin is a bit questionable so you never know? DP has looked great in recent fights though like you said and does have the superior skill set..

Just MJ's toughness, length and ability to stay in fights always gives him a chance.. I'll be on DP but not super confident..

DP better not get caught..

[Hugo de Naranja]

I agree but Michael Johnson has a granite chin and will be coming forward all fight long.. I don't think DP gets the early out in this fight, he's gonna have to deal with a tough hard nosed Michael Johnson for 3 rounds.. DP's chin is a bit questionable so you never know? DP has looked great in recent fights though like you said and does have the superior skill set..

Just MJ's toughness, length and ability to stay in fights always gives him a chance.. I'll be on DP but not super confident..

DP better not get caught..

Remember though Jibs, this is a 5-round main event. I think Poirier has the superior cardio and will make it really tough for MJ to go the distance, even if Johnson does have some early success. Green, Medeiros, and Ferreira all have good chins but it didn't matter since Poirier dropped bombs on them till it was over. I think him moving up to LW is a lot like Cerrone moving up to WW. He's walked through good competition and KO'ed a few guys who have great chins, much like Cerrone has flattened Cote and Story (neither had ever been KO'ed in 30+ pro fights before facing him).

[xagonzx]

Calling my shot: Dustin Poirier is the LW champ within 18 months of today.

I think that's pushing it. winner of RDA vs Ferguson probably has dibs on a title shot, as does Khabib, plus throw in Mcgregor and he doesn't get the shot within 18 months. Even then, I'm not sure i would take Porier over Alvarez/RDA/Ferguson/Khabib, although i do think he's looked great at LW.

[xagonzx]

I agree but Michael Johnson has a granite chin and will be coming forward all fight long.. I don't think DP gets the early out in this fight, he's gonna have to deal with a tough hard nosed Michael Johnson for 3 rounds.. DP's chin is a bit questionable so you never know? DP has looked great in recent fights though like you said and does have the superior skill set..

Just MJ's toughness, length and ability to stay in fights always gives him a chance.. I'll be on DP but not super confident..

DP better not get caught..

Main event Jibbby, 5 rounds. That benefits Porier IMO. His "questionable" chin isn't super questionable, given the weight cut/dehydration can play into that.

[Hugo de Naranja]

I think that's pushing it. winner of RDA vs Ferguson probably has dibs on a title shot, as does Khabib, plus throw in Mcgregor and he doesn't get the shot within 18 months. Even then, I'm not sure i would take Porier over Alvarez/RDA/Ferguson/Khabib, although i do think he's looked great at LW.

Fair enough. Some tough match-ups for him there since LW is full of killers. I just think Poirier is better than people give him credit for.

[JIBBBY]

It is indeed a five rounder, my bad as I thought it was a 3 rounder.. I wasn't paying close attention, haven't fully capped the fight yet or even looked at props and was just assuming.....

Anyways, has MJ's cardio ever been in question? I don't remember it being a problem in his 3 round decision fights.. Will DP have a cardio advantage is up for debate? Just saying...

[firekillex]

Calling my shot: Dustin Poirier is the LW champ within 18 months of today.

100 point wager for fun Hugo??

[firekillex]

It is indeed a five rounder, my bad as I thought it was a 3 rounder.. I wasn't paying close attention, haven't fully capped the fight yet or even looked at props and was just assuming.....

Anyways, has MJ's cardio ever been in question? I don't remember it being a problem in his 3 round decision fights.. Will DP have a cardio advantage is up for debate? Just saying...

Both guys cardio will not be a problem unless they're injured.. No top 10 talent at 155 is gassing in a fight Imo that division is full of killers if you gas you'll get eaten alive ... I'd say even top 15-25 nobody is gassing in a 5 rounder with preparation Imo

[TPowell]

I really don't get how Michael Johnson is a legit threat at 155. Not doubting he is but his striking is very awkward and he isn't some animal wrecking ball power striker either. Dustin should carve him up in this one

[firekillex]

Man I like porier in this matchup but people are heavily sleeping on Michael Johnson here saying he's not a good striker or elite wtf anybody in the top 10 could beat eChother on a given night... Dudes beaten Edson barboza, tony Ferguson and was the first to Ko a legit beast Gleason Tibau don't sleep on Johnson just because he lost his last 2 against super tough talent .. Lightweight is a shark tank and anybody can be eaten

highly likely this is a legit war , I doubt either one steam rolls the other if they both show up on fight night

[THE_LOCKSMITH]

Johnson has an interesting record he is 4-4 as the favorite and 5-1 as an underdog....

Michael Johnson +105
Edson Barboza -170

Michael Johnson +110
Gleison Tibau -155

Michael Johnson +190
Joe Lauzon -340

Michael Johnson +285
Tony Ferguson -370

Michael Johnson +225
Shane Roller -260

Michael Johnson +190
Jonathan Brookins -333

[Thrilla]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_Fight_Night:_Poirier_vs._Johnson

Background

After contesting several other PPV and Fight Night events across Texas, this will be the first that the promotion has hosted in Hidalgo.^[2]

A lightweight bout between Dustin Poirier and Michael Johnson is expected to serve as event headliner.^[3]

Manvel Gamburyan was scheduled to face Alejandro Pérez at the event. However, Gamburyan pulled out of the fight in mid-August for undisclosed personal reasons and was replaced by Albert Morales.^[4]

Abel Trujillo was expected to face Evan Dunham at the event. However, Trujillo pulled out of the fight on September 5, citing an undisclosed injury.^[5] In turn, former WSOF Featherweight Champion and promotional newcomer Rick Glenn was announced as his replacement.^[6]

[bjpenn85]

Johnson has an interesting record he is 4-4 as the favorite and 5-1 as an underdog....

Michael Johnson +105
Edson Barboza -170

Michael Johnson +110
Gleison Tibau -155

Michael Johnson +190
Joe Lauzon -340

Michael Johnson +285
Tony Ferguson -370

Michael Johnson +225
Shane Roller -260

Michael Johnson +190
Jonathan Brookins -333

Michael johnson proved to be better than the oddsmaker expected. Its more a witness of intangibles of the sport, than a rigid pattern.

[Thrilla]

- UFC Unfiltered Podcast with Jim Norton and Matt Serra. Ahead of UFC fight Night 94 Dustin Poirier interview @ 20:50 - 34:16 min.

- Dustin Poirier (20-4) discusses his upcoming matchup with Michael Johnson (16-10) at UFC Fight Night 94 this Saturday.

- Fighters predict the UFC Fight Night 94 lightweight main event with Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Johnson.

- Michael Johnson training.
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- bleacherreport.com
Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Johnson: A Head-to-Toe Breakdown

[JIBBBY]

Man I like porier in this matchup but people are heavily sleeping on Michael Johnson here saying he's not a good striker or elite wtf anybody in the top 10 could beat eChother on a given night... Dudes beaten Edson barboza, tony Ferguson and was the first to Ko a legit beast Gleason Tibau don't sleep on Johnson just because he lost his last 2 against super tough talent .. Lightweight is a shark tank and anybody can be eaten

highly likely this is a legit war , I doubt either one steam rolls the other if they both show up on fight night

The top Blackzillians will always show up and bring it in fights.. This we know...

MJ lost 2 in a row now and really looked like a class B fighter against Nate Diaz in the striking department in that UN decision loss.. http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Michael-Johnson-68788

DP should have the edge standing...I think you gotta bet on DP in this one..

Still may hedge with the MJ KO prop when it comes out as back up... Odds have to make sense though..

NO PROPS OUT STILL FOR THIS EVENT.. ...

Bobby Green KO


Yancy KO

[Hugo de Naranja]

100 point wager for fun Hugo??

Not at even money haha

[Hugo de Naranja]

Basic 7 props out. I like Poirier ITD (+149), Wade ITD (+423) small, Skelly Decision (+240), and a few others.

[firekillex]

Basic 7 props out. I like Poirier ITD (+149)

Waiting to see what porier sub prop will be at hoping for +180 or more... Johnson has been subbed before (6 time) and he has a super solid chin at worst I could see him getting clipped and choked or something.. Porier is super slick with jumping on subs

[Hugo de Naranja]

Waiting to see what porier sub prop will be at hoping for +180 or more... Johnson has been subbed before (6 time) and he has a super solid chin at worst I could see him getting clipped and choked or something.. Porier is super slick with jumping on subs

Probably will be at least (+250). Worth looking at for sure.

[firekillex]

Probably will be at least (+250). Worth looking at for sure.

Ya was thinking +225 range ... But books been super stingy lately on some props...
may be worth a small play Imo

[TPowell]

fight not going the distance is only -210. Good parlay piece for sure. No way these guys can make it 5 rounds I don't think. Johnson will get subbed if this fight EVER hits the floor and Dustin should be able to get one later on at least. Johnson loves to crowd guys and turn it into a phone booth fight which favors Dustin to me because it gives him plenty of chances to wrap up a takedown in close. This parlayed with Wade/Islam going the distance which is also -210 wouldn't be a bad parlay together. Both guys have subbed lesser ground fighters, but this matchup should produce a stalemate sub wise and Islam should grind out a decision with top control and better striking. I like Islam's ML better than the over but I think both cash

[Hugo de Naranja]

fight not going the distance is only -210. Good parlay piece for sure. No way these guys can make it 5 rounds I don't think. Johnson will get subbed if this fight EVER hits the floor and Dustin should be able to get one later on at least. Johnson loves to crowd guys and turn it into a phone booth fight which favors Dustin to me because it gives him plenty of chances to wrap up a takedown in close. This parlayed with Wade/Islam going the distance which is also -210 wouldn't be a bad parlay together. Both guys have subbed lesser ground fighters, but this matchup should produce a stalemate sub wise and Islam should grind out a decision with top control and better striking. I like Islam's ML better than the over but I think both cash

The Poirier/Johnson Does Not Go Distance prop actually opened at (-160) but got bet down in literally 2 seconds.

[TPowell]

The Poirier/Johnson Does Not Go Distance prop actually opened at (-160) but got bet down in literally 2 seconds.

I saw that on fight odds history. I really need to pay attention to when lines tend to come out but I just don't. I think there is still some value at -210 though. Its just hard to imagine these 2 duking it out for 5 rounds on the feet without someone getting finished.

[Thrilla]

- Poirier interview.

- Daniel Cormier and Dan Hardy make their predictions for Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Johnson.

- Lightweight contender Dustin Poirier opens up about the fight game in his Warrior Code.

- Dustin Poirier vs. Akira Corassani

- Michael Johnson vs. Gleison Tibau

[PaperTrail07]

totally agree w the 5 round cardio aspect.....Johnson will slow faster than dp

Remember though Jibs, this is a 5-round main event. I think Poirier has the superior cardio and will make it really tough for MJ to go the distance, even if Johnson does have some early success. Green, Medeiros, and Ferreira all have good chins but it didn't matter since Poirier dropped bombs on them till it was over. I think him moving up to LW is a lot like Cerrone moving up to WW. He's walked through good competition and KO'ed a few guys who have great chins, much like Cerrone has flattened Cote and Story (neither had ever been KO'ed in 30+ pro fights before facing him).

[PaperTrail07]

interesting skelly basically saying they trained for a decision lol..

[JIBBBY]

interesting skelly basically saying they trained for a decision lol..

My money will be on Skelly.. He'll probably grind out the win..

[JIBBBY]

MMAmania Prelim write ups - PART 1 and 2 - Decent reads and basics...




170 lbs.: Erick Montano vs. Randy Brown


First-round stoppages of Marco Olano and Vernon Ramos took Erick Montano (7-3) to The Ultimate Fighter (TUF): "Latin America 2" Finale, where he took on teammate Enrique Marin. "Perry," the underdog, defied the odds to take his fifth win in six fights. Four of his wins have come by rear-naked choke.
Randy Brown (7-1) -- who was discovered on Dana White’s "Lookin’ for a Fight" -- successfully debuted in January with a decision over Canadian slugger Matt Dwyer. He returned to the cage three months later against Michael Graves, who exploited "Rude Boy’s" still-developing ground game with a second-round rear-naked choke. He has knocked out four professional opponents and submitted another two.
Leery as I am of picking Brown against a grappling specialist, there’s a massive difference between struggling with a standout wrestler like Michael Graves and struggling with a mediocre submission artist like Montano. The fact is, without some massive improvement since his fight with Marin, Montano has very little hope of dragging Brown out of his comfort zone.

And he doesn’t want any part of "Rude Boy" on the feet. The Jamaican-born Brown has a two-inch height advantage and quite a bit more power. So long as he can keep his back off the fence, I expect him to get his first UFC finish in impressive fashion.
Prediction: Brown via second-round technical knockout


145 lbs.: Chas Skelly vs. Maximo Blanco

After a competitive loss in his debut against wunderkind Mirsad Bektic, Chas Skelly (15-2) rattled off four consecutive wins with three stoppages among them. His streak came to an end against Darren Elkins, who emptied "The Scrapper’s" gas tank on his way to a decision win. He stands three inches taller than Blanco at 5’11."
Once a rising star of the Japanese circuit, Maximo Blanco (12-7-1) opened his ZUFFA career with a 1-4 skid, starting with a submission loss to Pat Healy and ending with a decision loss to Felipe Arantes. He righted the ship with three straight wins, only for late-notice replacement Luke Sanders to drop him and choke him out in January. He’s scored eight wins via knockout.
As someone who was all about "Maxi" when he was tearing up fools in Sengoku, I think it’s safe to retire the Blanco hype train. Neither the Venezuelan’s wild striking nor his well-credentialed wrestling have proven effective on the world stage. He also got knocked around by a blown-up bantamweight last time out and will give up a significant amount of size.
Skelly stood up to bombs from the brick-fisted Edimilson Souza, which casts doubts on Blanco’s chances of a surprise knockout. Without that possibility, Skelly’s grappling edge should carry the day. Blanco suffers the fourth submission loss of his career as "The Scrapper" dominates him on the mat.
Prediction: Skelly by first-round submission



145 lbs.: Gabriel Benitez vs. Sam Sicilia

Gabriel Benitez (18-5) -- represented Team Mexico on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF): "Latin America" -- took out Diego Rivas in the quarterfinals before dropping a decision to Leonardo Morales in the semifinals. "Moggly" bounced back with two wins in two UFC appearances, but fell short against Andre Fili in Nov. 2015.
His 15 finishes are split 9/6 between submissions and knockouts.
An eight-second knockout in the elimination round got TUF 15 run for Sam Sicilia (14-6) off to a great start, only for Chris Saunders to end it via upset in the Round of 16. He has gone 5-5 in the promotion itself, most recently suffering a knockout loss to top prospect Doo Ho Choi.
He has knocked out eight opponents overall.
Sicilia really isn’t very good. He’s a brawler without the chin needed to brawl, a wrestler without the technique to set up his takedowns. The question is whether that’s enough to take out the fairly limited Benitez.
Hell, why not.
Benitez has the technical striking edge and could very well spark Sicilia, but his ground game is still a question mark. At the very least, Sicilia can maintain top position well and do decent damage from the guard. If he can mix up things even a bit, he should take a competitive decision.
Prediction: Sicilia via unanimous decision



170 lbs.: Augusto Montano vs. Belal Muhammad

Augusto Montano (15-2) made an impressive statement in his Octagon debut, demolishing Chris Heatherly with a storm of knees. His next appearance was rather less triumphant, dropping a decision to Cathal Pendred and testing positive for testosterone in the aftermath.
All 15 wins for "Dodger" have come via stoppage, thirteen of them inside the first round.
After knocking out Steve Carl to earn the Titan FC Welterweight championship, Belal Muhammad (9-1) stepped up on short notice to take on Alan Jouban in July. There, he made a compelling case for his nickname, weathering a near-knockout to push the favored "Brahma" to the limit.
"Remember the Name" will give up three inches of height to the 6’1" Montano.
Montano is in for it here. The Mexican has solid size and power, but his technique is lacking across the board. Worse, Muhammad proved incredibly resilient in the face of Alan Jouban’s power shots. His grit and aggression are a hard counter for "Dodger’s" raw physicality.
Unless Montano can land a monster knee early on, Muhammad’s withering striking attack will carry him to a decisive victory. Muhammad picks him apart on the feet for either a unanimous decision or late technical knockout.
Prediction: Muhammad via unanimous decision



135 lbs.: Jose Alberto Quinones vs. Joey Gomez

Jose Alberto Quinones (4-2) and his standout facial hair reached TUF: "Latin America" Finale before losing a decision to teammate Alejandro Perez. His second UFC bout saw him choke out featherweight finalist Leonardo Morales halfway through the first round.
This will be his first fight in 15 months.
Riding high on six consecutive first-round knockouts, Joey Gomez (6-1) stepped up on short notice to take on Rob Font in January. Font apparently had no respect for royalty, stopping Gomez with a powerful flurry late in the second. Five of the six professional wins for "The KO King" have come inside of two minutes.
This is honestly way more of a gut pick than I’m comfortable with, but I’m going with "El Teco." Gomez looked slow and gunshy against Font and, while that could have been Octagon jitters, it doesn’t exactly inspire much confidence. Especially since he’d never gone past the first round before.
Whether he was trying to conserve cardio or was just overwhelmed by the situation, he didn’t show enough for me to pick him over Quinones, a capable striker in his own right with some decent wrestling to back him up. The Mexican slugger drags him into deep waters for the decision win.
Prediction: Quinones via unanimous decision


185 lbs.: Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Leonardo Guimaraes

Antonio Carlos Junior (5-2) ran roughshod over his fellow Heavyweights on TUF: "Brazil 3," ultimately defeating Vitor Miranda by decision on the Finale. After losing to Patrick Cummins at 205 pounds, "Cara de Sapato" dropped to Middleweight, where he’s gone 1-1 (1 NC).
Four of his five professional wins have come by submission.
A seven-fight unbeaten streak -- capped off with a decision over TUF: "Brazil 3" competitor Richardson Moreira -- brought Leonardo Guimaraes (11-2) to UFC, where he debuted against Anthony Smith this past February. Despite a late surge, the Brazilian wound up losing the decision, his first defeat since 2011.
"Leleco" has submitted six opponents himself.
Honestly, I still have fairly high hopes for ol’ "Shoeface." He’s still young at 26, packs serious power in addition to his ground skills, and is fighting out of an excellent camp in American Top Team. By all rights, he should run roughshod over Guimaraes, who doesn’t have much to offer besides aggression and rudimentary striking.
All Carlos needs to do here is ensure that his takedowns are on point -- none of those hopeless double legs he tried against Daniel Kelly. Once he gets it to the ground, it’s a wash.
Prediction: Carlos via first-round submission

[Hugo de Naranja]

fight not going the distance is only -210. Good parlay piece for sure. No way these guys can make it 5 rounds I don't think. Johnson will get subbed if this fight EVER hits the floor and Dustin should be able to get one later on at least. Johnson loves to crowd guys and turn it into a phone booth fight which favors Dustin to me because it gives him plenty of chances to wrap up a takedown in close. This parlayed with Wade/Islam going the distance which is also -210 wouldn't be a bad parlay together. Both guys have subbed lesser ground fighters, but this matchup should produce a stalemate sub wise and Islam should grind out a decision with top control and better striking. I like Islam's ML better than the over but I think both cash

Went ahead and played this for a unit. Thanks for the suggestion!