UFC Fight Night: Dustin Poirier vs. Daniel Hooker preview
Featherweight Jason Young (left) was defeated by Dustin Poirier during UFC 131 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Photo by Kathleen Hinkel/Icon Sportswire)
June 23rd, 2020
The top of the UFCs deepest division is about to get more crowded, when Dustin Poirier faces off against Dan Hooker in a major UFC Fight Night main event Saturday, June 27.
Can Poirier, inactive for nine months, fend off the challenge of the resurgent Hooker? Or will Hooker make his case as one of the best fighters in the lightweight division? BetAmerica has your inside scoop for fight night.
Hooker's health is in question
It is hard to imagine Hooker is all the way recovered from the beating he caught at the hands of Paul Felder in February. Hooker was lucky to get the decision win, but the damage he took will definitely play a role against an opponent who has been operating at a higher class for a longer period of time.
Poirier is the more diligent striker, with a better ground game. He mixes crisp boxing and footwork with the ability to defend well and excellent counter punching. Hooker tends to telegraph his shots and has stationary upper-body movement, which leaves him vulnerable to catch a counter shot.
Hooker can utilize his superior height and reach to keep Poirier at bay, right in the range to land some devastating kicks. He got off to a decent start against the aging Felder but wasn’t able to put him away, even though Felder was fighting with one eye shut for the duration. While Hooker is long, he isn’t technically sound or speedy enough to disengage from a dust-up and that will be his undoing against Poirier.
Expect a stand-up fight throughout
While Hooker is an attractive pick, he isn’t going to risk taking Poirier to the mat like he did with Felder. This is going to be a stand-up fight through and through, and Poirier shouldn’t have much trouble timing Hooker, to bypass his length and make things uncomfortable on the inside. If anyone is going to score a takedown, it’s going to be the smaller Poirier.
This is going to be an entertaining fight, but Hooker’s leaky defense and the quick turnaround from such a vicious fight will not serve him well. Expect the fresher Poirier to cut the distance early, bang Hooker up in clinches, and win this fight by a comfortable margin on the scorecards.
MMA free pick: Poirier (-215)
BetAmerica has you covered with a full selection of props and odds for UFC Fight Night!
ADVERTISEMENT
