Two of the top featherweights in the world clashed on Saturday night at UFC 164 when Dustin Poirier took on Erik Koch in a fight that’s been more than a year in the making. Poirier and Koch had been scheduled to meet on a previous occasion in early 2012, but injuries prevented the fight from ever taking place.
Fast forward to August 2013, and Poirier finally got his shot at Koch.
He definitely made the most of the opportunity.
The fight was a true war of attrition, with both fighters gaining the upper hand at different moments in the 15-minute clash.
The pendulum swung hard to both sides of the cage during the first round, where Koch had Poirier in an ultra-tight triangle choke that almost finished the bout just minutes after it started. But Poirier somehow survived and then came back with a right hand that absolutely crushed Koch’s jaw and sent him crashing to the mat.
The next two rounds weren’t much different, as Poirier and Koch left every ounce of energy they had left in the Octagon, with both coming close to finishing the other in one of the best fights so far in all of 2013.
In the end, Poirier did enough to get the win over Koch, which moves him back into the win column after a tough loss in his last outing. The loss for Koch marks two defeats in a row, although he can’t hang his head low on this one, as both fighters put on a stellar performance.
Check out the full fight video highlights above for all the action that took place in Poirier vs. Koch.
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