DUSTIN POIRIER’S UNDEFEATED run in the UFC’s lightweight division came to a sudden stop on Saturday night when he ran into a brutal counter strike from Michael Johnson at 95 seconds of the first round.
The win was not without controversy, however, as Johnson stood over his fallen opponent with his arms raised before shouting something in his direction.
Whatever was said, the pair did embrace after the result was announced.
Johnson, making his 2016 debut, dazed Poirier with a counter-right before dropping him with a straight left.
With his opponent on the canvas and taking a series of unanswered punches, referee Dan Miragliotta had no choice but to stop the fight.
It’s Johnson’s eighth career knockout and marks a successful return from shoulder surgery for the 30-year-old. For Poirier, it’s his first loss since moving up to lightweight from featherweight last year.
Elsewhere on the card, middleweight Derek Brunson extended his winning streak to five with a TKO finish over Uriah Hall in the first round while Chas Skelly took just 19 seconds to lock a D’Arce choke on Maximo Blanco for the fastest submission finish in UFC featherweight history.