The UFC on ESPN 12 will feature the fight between Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker as the main event of the night. The two lightweight guys are hoping to get back into the top of the division, and to do that, they need to win this battle.
Poirier a Favorite, but Hooker Seems Superb Lately
The two guys are in a solid form when looking at their overall record over the past few years. Poirier even managed to win the interim title before being beaten against the unstoppable Khabib Nurmagomedov. It was at the UFC 242 when he lost after seven straight wins. During that streak, he beat Anthony Pettis, Justin Gaethje, Eddie Alvarez, and Max Holloway, and at the time, everybody believed that he might be the one who can stop the Russian Eagle.
In the end, Khabib won via rear-naked choke in the third round of the fight, once again proving his domination in this division.
On the other side, Hooker lost only against Edson Barboza in the previous eight contests, trashing James Vick, Al Iaquinta, Paul Felder and Gilbert Burns in the meantime.
This, likeways Poirier’s resume is extremely impressive and deserves respect. Though he did beat Felder via split decision, but both guys deserved to win in that event.
What interests the fans is Poirier’s condition following his surgery, and whether he has enough power to endure Hooker’s explosions in the octagon. The former interim champ is more experienced and apparently more versatile, but the ring rust is a nasty thing. Just to remind you that he didn’t fight since September 2019. Now that is a long period, and it is especially problematic because he didn’t have any tests in the meantime.
What could be a problem for Hooker is the fact that in both of his fights against Felder and Iaquinta, he had the massive help of the fans because both events took place in Australia.
Bookies Favor Poirier
The odds on Poirier’s win are -220, while Hooker sits at +180. No doubt, this is a bit underestimating towards the Kiwi, who showed that if anything else, he can endure tough fights.
Meanwhile, those who support Poirier are saying that it isn’t the same to fight against the guys who never fought for the title, and against the former belt-holder, even if that was an interim title.
The fighters who were fighting recently in the UFC APEX facility are suggesting that they feel a bit odd without fans and that the overall impression once stepping into the octagon is a bit unusual. Whoever adapts to these circumstances better would get a massive advantage.
Also, according to some, the octagon here is a bit smaller than the usual ones, but we can’t tell who could benefit from it in this particular case.
The only certain thing is that the fans are about to witness an interesting matchup, between two guys who are in a position that they have to win. Otherwise, mediocrity is behind the corner.
