An NFL great's son seemingly channeled his inner Dustin Poirier, unleashing a destructive right hook on his lacrosse rival during their match's live broadcast. Fight fans soon chimed in, with some asserting that the athlete ought to be signed by the UFC.
The person in question is Elijah Gash, the 25-year-old son of former NFL star Sam Gash. Elijah plays for the Canada-based Toronto Rock team in the NLL (National Lacrosse League), a box lacrosse league in North America. The Toronto Rock played against the U.S.-based Buffalo Bandits team on Jan. 10, 2025.
During a sequence, Gash tackled a Bandits player. The Bandits' Zack Belter then rushed toward and tried to strike him. Gash knocked him down with a right hook; a right-hand ground strike followed.
Belter appeared to be knocked out. The officials intervened to stop Gash. He was escorted off the field, as was Belter after he regained consciousness. Generally, in such incidents, the player who initiated combative physical contact is penalized for fighting, instigating, and game misconduct; penalties Belter faced. Gash drew a five-minute fighting penalty. The Bandits won the match with a 15-13 score.
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Watch Gash unleash a Dustin Poirier-esque punch below:
Many fans seemed impressed by Elijah Gash's striking prowess. Multiple netizens lightheartedly questioned the permissibility of such combat in a sport like lacrosse. Others seemed to assert that Gash should be signed to the world's premier MMA organization, the UFC. A commenter tweeted:
"@ufc sign him"
One observer implied Gash was in the wrong sport:
"Bro is playing the wrong spot"
Multiple X users alluded to the hellacious nature of Gash's right-hand punch. A fan tweeted a meme of the fictional character Michael Scott (portrayed by Hollywood actor Steve Carell) from the iconic American sitcom, 'The Office,' and wrote:
"That was a crazy right hook!"
Some fans insinuated that such fights in lacrosse should be broken up earlier:
"Nobody breaks it up till someone unconscious"
Others suggested that those interested in lacrosse players fighting could simply watch boxing instead. One X user requested UFC CEO and president Dana White to sign Gash:
"Sign him @danawhite"
Check out the screenshots of a few reactions below:
Dustin Poirier's famed right hook earned high praise from UFC rival
Dustin Poirier has lately signaled that his next fight could be the last of his MMA career. The Louisianian has amassed several accolades in his fighting career, including a stint as the interim UFC lightweight champion.
Poirier notably scored a right-hook knockdown and eventually submitted fellow MMA stalwart Michael Chandler in a back-and-forth lightweight showdown back in November 2022. 'The Diamond' has often traded barbs with Chandler, even accusing 'Iron' of utilizing illegal tactics/maneuvers.
Regardless, after Dustin Poirier's right hook knockout win over Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299 (March 2024), longtime rival Chandler lauded him. Acknowledging Poirier's feared right hook, with which he famously knocked out Conor McGregor in their rematch in January 2021 and stopped 'BSD' in 2024, Chandler wrote:
"I'd venture to say it's the best hook in the mma world as we speak. He [Dustin Poirier] does it so well, and I'm not certain, but rumor has it he's right handed but fights from southpaw which makes his lead hand his most dominant hand. Kudos to the [*diamond emoji] #ufc299"