UFC 243 results: Dan Hooker picks apart Al Iaquinta, threatens to 'smash' Dustin Poirier

Dan Hooker continued to thrive as a lightweight on Saturday when he earned his biggest win in the division against Al Iaquinta at UFC 243.

Hooker (19-8 MMA, 9-4 UFC) improved to 6-1 when competing at 155 pounds after picking apart Iaquinta (14-6-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) over the course of three rounds to take a unanimous decision and help him move further up the pecking order in what’s arguably the sport’s most stacked division.

The lightweight bout was the UFC 243 co-main event at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Both fighters started cautiously, trading leg kicks and trying to work their way in for hard punches. Hooker’s low kicks appeared to work to great effect early, but Iaquinta had some answers with his hands while also going for takedown attempts. Iaquinta got in on a good takedown, but Hooker stopped it and punched him with elbows before taking control on the ground and doing some good work. Iaquinta ultimately got up, but Hooker continued to be productive through the end of the round.

With the low calf kicks a significant weapon in the first, Hooker went right back to it to begin the second round. The damage was clearly irritating to Iaquinta, who was forced to repeatedly change stances. He did his best to fire back and got deep in on another takedown with around 90 seconds remaining, but Hooker showed tremendous defensive ability in keeping his opponent off. He followed with a massive shot that dropped Iaquinta, however, Hooker could not finish before the round expired.

Iaquinta’s corner honestly told him he was down two rounds going into the third, but it was Hooker who came out strong to begin the final frame. He went back to his low kick attacks and kept Iaquinta at bay with a nice jab, too. With his nose bloodied, Iaquinta tried to make a final charge in the final minutes of he fight. He simply couldn’t penetrate Hooker’s guard, though, and walked into more damage. Forever tough, Iaquinta wouldn’t be finish, but when 15 minutes expired, it was clear Hooker had won.

The judges agreed, giving Hooker 30-27, 30-27 and 30-26 scores. It was Hooker’s sixth win in his past seven fights, while Iaquinta has dropped three of his past four.

After the win, Hooker called out former interim lightweight champ Dustin Poirier.

“Dustin Poirier, I’m going to smash your face in,” Hooker said in his post-fight interview with Jon Anik. “Meet me in New Zealand 2020, and I will end you.”

Up-to-the-minute UFC 243 results include:

• Dan Hooker def. Al Iaquinta via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
• Serghei Spivac def. Tai Tuivasa via technical submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 2, 3:14
• Serghei Spivac def. Tai Tuivasa via technical submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 2, 3:14
• Dhiego Lima def. Luke Jumeau via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Yorgan De Castro def. Justin Tafa via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 2:10
• Jake Matthews def. Rostem Akman via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Callan Potter def. Maki Pitolo via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Brad Riddell def. Jamie Mullarkey via unanimous decision (29-27, 30-26, 30-26)
• Megan Anderson def. Zarah Fairn via submission (triangle choke) – Round 1, 3:57
• Ji Yeon Kim def. Nadia Kassem via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:59
• Khalid Taha def. Bruno Silva via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 3, 3:00