UFC on ESPN: Poirier vs. Hooker
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Enterprise, Nevada , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Dana White (President) |
| Products | Mixed martial arts events |
| Website | www |
UFC on ESPN: Poirier vs. Hooker, also identified as UFC on ESPN 12 and UFC Vegas 4, was a mixed martial arts event organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on June 27, 2020, at the UFC Apex facility located in Enterprise, Nevada, within the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area.
Background
Initially planned to occur at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, the event was relocated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. UFC president Dana White announced a series of postponements beginning with UFC 249, leading to the cancellation of the Austin event on May 21.
The headline fight featured a lightweight contest between former interim Lightweight Champion Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker. This bout was originally scheduled to serve as the main event for a May 16 card in San Diego, which was canceled after the California State Athletic Commission extended its suspension of combat sports activities through May 31 due to pandemic-related concerns.
Several matchups were either rescheduled or modified owing to injuries and travel limitations:
- The women's flyweight clash between Alexa Grasso and Ji Yeon Kim was postponed to August 29 at UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Rakić.
- Ian Heinisch withdrew from his scheduled fight against Brendan Allen because of injury; newcomer Kyle Daukaus stepped in as his replacement.
- The women's flyweight bout featuring former Invicta FC Flyweight Champion Jennifer Maia and Viviane Araújo was deferred until August 1 due to travel restrictions.
- A women's bantamweight fight between Aspen Ladd and former title contender Sara McMann was canceled following Ladd’s ACL and MCL injuries sustained during training.
- Kyle Nelson pulled out of a catchweight bout with Sean Woodson because of visa complications; Julian Erosa took his place.
- The women's flyweight matchup between Miranda Maverick and Mara Romero Borella was canceled due to an injury sustained by Maverick.
- Ramiz Brahimaj was removed from his fight against Takashi Sato after a cornerman tested positive for COVID-19; promotional newcomer Jason Witt replaced him.
Bonus awards
A sum of $50,000 bonuses were awarded as follows:
- Fight of the Night: Dustin Poirier vs. Dan Hooker
- Performance of the Night: Julian Erosa and Kay Hansen
Reported payout
The total disclosed fighter compensation reported to the Nevada State Athletic Commission amounted to $1,140,000, not including sponsorship earnings or UFC "fight night" bonuses.
- Dustin Poirier: $300,000 (including a $150,000 win bonus) defeated Dan Hooker: $110,000
- Mike Perry: $180,000 (including a $90,000 win bonus) defeated Mickey Gall: $50,000
- Maurice Greene: $60,000 (including a $30,000 win bonus) defeated Gian Villante: $75,000
- Brendan Allen: $28,000 (including a $14,000 win bonus) defeated Kyle Daukaus: $12,000
- Takashi Sato: $28,000 (including a $14,000 win bonus) defeated Jason Witt: $12,000
- Julian Erosa: $28,000 (including a $14,000 win bonus) defeated Sean Woodson: $12,000
- Khama Worthy: $28,000 (including a $14,000 win bonus) defeated Luis Peña: $27,000
- Tanner Boser: $24,000 (including a $12,000 win bonus) defeated Philipe Lins: $80,000
- Kay Hansen: $28,000 (including a $14,000 win bonus) defeated Jinh Yu Frey: $14,000
- Youssef Zalal: $24,000 (including a $12,000 win bonus) defeated Jordan Griffin: $20,000
Aftermath
On August 5, the NSAC imposed a provisional suspension on Luis Peña following a positive marijuana result from his pre-fight drug test. Subsequently, on September 3, Peña was handed a suspension lasting four and a half months along with a penalty amounting to 15% of his fight earnings. The reduction in his punishment took into account his acceptance of the bout on short notice.