Ben is a master wrestler but he doesn’t have the striking game to even remotely set up the takedowns. Just desperation grabs with his head down. That strategy of a flying knee has been there literally every fight but it just took someone as wild and dynamic as Jorge to execute that and take advantage. Normally I’d say a lot of luck is involved in a flying knee but this was mostly just knowing the opponent.
There’s some thought about approach, sure. Not denying that. But there’s some lucky timing to land it so soon.
It is not lucky to calculate that a primarily wrestling MMA fighter, who is known for going after takedowns early, would shoot for the waist. A flying knee is the perfect counter strike for that. Masvidal also stated, according to Poirier’s tweet, that he’d been practicing it during his camp.