With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from June 2020: Here are the three nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Fight of the Month” award for June.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice.

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The Nominees

Andre Fili def. Charles Jourdain at UFC on ESPN 10

It seemed early in Andre Fili’s (21-7 MMA, 9-6 UFC) fight with Charles Jourdain (10-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) that it might only be a matter of time before someone caught the other with a highlight-reel finish.

That finish never came, though not for lack of effort. Fili took a split decision from Jourdain with a pair of 29-28 scores in a close fight that may have been decided by Fili’s takedowns. Jourdain started strong, but he couldn’t keep it consistent for all three rounds.

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Josh Emmett def. Shane Burgos at UFC on ESPN 11

Josh Emmett (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) vs. Shane Burgos (13-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) was seemingly a referendum on which of the two is destined to become a real factor in the featherweight division.

After 15 minutes in a battle, though, it’s clear that both will be forces to be reckoned with at 145 pounds. After two tightly contested rounds, Emmett pulled away in the third to seal a unanimous decision and suffering some series injuries to his leg in the process.

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Dustin Poirier def. Dan Hooker at UFC on ESPN 12

Dustin Poirier (26-6 MMA, 18-6 UFC) vs. Dan Hooker (20-9 MMA, 10-6 UFC) was a fight circled on the calendar of many fight fans since the moment it became official, and the lightweight contenders manager to not only meet expectations, but possibly surpass them.

Poirier, the former interim UFC lightweight champion, and Hooker went after each other for 25 minutes, holding nothing back in the process. Both men were bloodied and hurt from the offense implemented by the other, but ultimately it came down to conditioning. “The Diamond” had more of that, and it got him the unanimous decision win.

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What a domination by @dustinpoirier Congrats champ

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The Winner: Dustin Poirier vs. Dan Hooker

When Poirier vs. Hooker was announced, it figured to be a shoo-in for “Fight of the Night” honors, and even a possibility for “Fight of the Year” consideration.

Not only did we get both, but the lightweight fight at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas ended up being one that likely will be name-checked on the list of the greatest UFC fights of all-time.

The two competitors attacked one another with a reckless abandon for 25 minutes in a bloody and bruising affair that ebbed and flowed.

Poirier, a former interim lightweight champion, had more gas in the tank in the final round and finished strong, which spelled the difference in a tremendous fight. The judges’ scores were 48-47, 48-47, and 48-46 for Poirier, who won for the sixth time in his past seven bouts.

Both fighters let their intentions be known early as they belted one another with full-force kicks both low and to the midsection. Hooker got the best of things in the opening round, as he landed leg kicks and punches to the body.

The second round was, quite simply, one of the most frantic rounds in the history of the sport. The duo hit each other with everything but the kitchen sink. Wild exchanges in the pocket included Poirier seamlessly transitioning from elbows to punches mid-combo, while Hooker repeatedly found a home with crisp jabs.

Hooker appeared to be up two-love after the first two rounds, but Poirier was just getting started. While both guys continued pummeling each other and walking through shots that would end fights against less hardy foes on the spot, Poirier noticeably went to work with his ground game, working for submission after submission even when he found himself on his back.

While the fight seemed even heading into the fifth, Poirier, who was competing in his eighth UFC main event, simply looked like he had been there more often and controlled the final five minutes and ended the fight landing punches up until the final horn.

“I trusted in my team and my skill and I pulled another one out,” said Poirier, who competed for the first time since losing to UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in September 2019. “I feel like I had another few rounds in me.”