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UFC Fight Night Betting Guide and Picks: Poirier vs Hooker

Jed Meshew for Bookies.com

Jed Meshew  | 5 mins

UFC Fight Night Betting Guide and Picks: Poirier vs Hooker
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The UFC keeps rolling on with another event Saturday headlined by one of the best fights of the year. In the main event of UFC Fight Night at Las Vegas, former UFC lightweight interim champion Dustin Poirier faces one of the hottest rising contenders in the division, Dan Hooker.

Poirier is looking to rebound from his failed title bid against Khabib Nurmagomedov, while No.5-ranked Hooker is looking to set himself up for a lightweight title shot if he wins.

If Poirier, ranked third in the lightweight division, rebounds successfully, he might be looking at a big money fight against Conor McGregor. There’s a lot at stake and a couple of excellent UFC betting props available to boot.

UFC Fight Night Best Bets

BetOdds
Dan Hooker
to win
+184
Bet it at FanDuel
Dustin Poirier
by KO/TKO
+140
Bet it at FOX Bet
Mickey Gall
by Submission
+540
Bet it at PointsBet

All odds current as of publication

Dan Hooker To Win

Poirier (at right in photo) vs. Hooker (at left) is one of the most-fascinating bouts of 2020. Since moving up to lightweight five years ago, Poirier has refined his game to an astonishing degree. Poirier has always had enormous power, but now he fights behind a composed, pressuring style that wears opponents down. More importantly, Poirier has become an excellent defensive fighter, with a combination of head movement and blocks that frustrates opponents and allows him to counter effectively.

Meanwhile, Hooker’s style is built around dictating range. Hooker has excellent footwork and uses combination boxing to pick opponents apart. One of his most effective techniques is his low calf kick that helps keep foes off-balance. Against the heavy-footed Poirier, that is likely going to be a powerful tool.

Poirier is heavily favored to win on Saturday and there’s good reason: He’s a better fighter. Poirier might be the best lightweight in the world not named Khabib Nurmagomedov. However, styles make fights and Hooker’s ability to dictate range is going to give Poirier serious problems. On top of that, Hooker works with one of the best camps in MMA in City Kickboxing. That should give him a tactical edge. Given these factors, this is a coin flip fight and the value on Hooker is excellent. Bet on Hooker to win at +184 with FanDuel .


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Dustin Poirier by KO/TKO

If you’re a Poirier backer or just looking to hedge your bets, look no further than Poirier by TKO. As outlined above, Poirier is one of the biggest punchers in the division. Hooker has been durable, but it only takes one shot from “The Diamond” to end it. Over the course of 25 minutes Poirier will have his chances to land that shot. This is as good as hedge as there is out there. Bet on Poirier by KO/TKO at +140 with FOX Bet.



Mickey Gall by Submission

In the co-main event, Mike Perry is a huge favorite over Mickey Gall and for good reason. Perry is a better athlete, more powerful and a far better striker than Gall, who has not looked good on his feet. Also, Gall’s gas tank has been suspect and Perry, for all his faults, is not going to go away easily.

That being said, Gall has a clear path to victory here. Perry is not a grappling savant and Gall is a tremendous submission artist. All Gall needs is one takedown and he stands a pretty good chance of pulling off the upset. That is certainly worth a +500 flyer at PointsBet.

About the Author

Jed Meshew for Bookies.com
Jed Meshew
Jed Meshew writes about MMA for Bookies.com. Jed has written for a number of sites over the years, including BloodyElbow.com, FightOpinion.com and MMAFighting.com.