UFC on ESPN Odds: Poirier Favored Over Hooker in Critical Lightweight Fight

Posted on: June 27, 2020, 01:00h. 

Last updated on: June 30, 2020, 01:57h.

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American Dustin Poirier faces off against New Zealand’s Dan Hooker in a battle of two top-five lightweights in the main event of UFC on ESPN this Saturday. The bout will be held at the company’s Apex facility in Las Vegas.

William Hill sees Poirier as a -220 favorite over Hooker (+180) in a bout that could eventually lead to a title shot for the winner.

Poirier Promises Not to Overlook Hooker

Poirier (25-6) has already had one shot at the crown, losing last September to Khabib Nurmagomedov by submission. Still, he remains firmly established in the upper crust of UFC lightweights. In a sense, that makes Hooker (20-8) a slight downgrade in competition, though Poirier has been careful not to frame it that way.

This guy is dangerous. This guy is a top opponent, a top-five ranked fighter in the UFC for a reason,” Poirier told MMA Junkie. “I don’t like the fact that fans and stuff are just passing him over, because this is a dangerous guy I’ve been preparing very seriously for.”

On the other side, Hooker has the opportunity to establish himself as a lightweight title contender. Wins over the likes of Al Iaquinta and Paul Felder have shown he’s a real contender; another victory over Poirier will put him squarely in the title picture.

“I don’t think I’ve been overlooked,” Hooker told Yahoo Sports. “People saw that I went 3-3 in my first six UFC fights and they saw I’m beatable. They, as a result, never could see me developing into this super unbeatable, larger-than-life creature they like to create. I’ve never viewed the sport that way.”

Hooker has upped his game throughout his time in the UFC. He has settled on a kickboxing-based game plan that makes him dangerous against any opponent. But this represents a clear step up in competition for Hooker, and unless he continues to improve even from his recent victories, Poirier should be able to get a finish sometime in the late rounds.

Undercard: Perry Favored Over Gall in Co-Main Event

In the co-main event, Mike Perry (13-6) and Mickey Gall (6-2) face off in an interesting welterweight clash that could end very early. Perry (-340 at William Hill) has the knockout power to finish the fight with one blow, and Gall (+270) is aggressive enough to step right into one of those punches. But if Gall can actually turn this into a grappling contest, the submission specialist should have a chance to pull off the upset.

The main card kicks off with a featherweight bout between undefeated prospect Sean Woodson (-490) and Julian Erosa (+370), a late replacement who has bounced between smaller promotions and the UFC, decisively losing his last three bouts win the promotion.