‘One of the Best 155-Pounders’- Dustin Poirier Predicts Michael Chandler vs Dan Hooker at UFC 257

Published 01/09/2021, 6:00 AM EST

The lightweight division in the UFC is one of the most stacked divisions. However, at this point in time, the situation in the division is a bit unclear. Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov stepped away from the sport last year after his win at UFC 254. The likes of Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira among others are all worthy contenders for a belt.

UFC 257 will answer a lot of questions regarding the pecking order at lightweight with the main event and co-main event. The winner of Conor and Dustin will most likely be next in line for a title shot. And a fight against Hooker will be a good opportunity for Chandler to show the UFC fans where he ranks in the 155-pound division.

Read: ‘This is not about payback’- Dustin Poirier wants legacy not revenge at UFC 257

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Dustin Poirier assesses the co-main event at UFC 257

In a recent interview, Theo Von asked Dustin what he made of the co-main event at UFC 257. ‘The Diamond’ replied, “That’s a great fight. And a good test for Chandler to see where he is at in the pecking order of the lightweight division. Cause they’re tossing him top end, which he should be man. He’s one of the best 155-pound fighters out there.”

Dustin continued, “I think Hooker beats him on the feet. You know Chandler is not a tall guy, Hooker is really long and a better boxer than I thought he was, good timing, tough to get his rhythm. Hooker is a tough fight for anybody, I think. It’ll be if Chandler can get the takedowns, and if he does, can he keep him down.”

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“I think it’s gonna be a 15-minute fight if it is on the same card as us. So if he starts getting takedowns and getting dominant positions he might be able to win a decision, not saying he can’t finish Hooker. But I would lean towards Hooker on that one man.”

There have been instances where champions from other organizations have not fared well in the UFC. However, if anyone can break that stigma, it is Michael Chandler. ‘Iron’ has all the tools to be a successful fighter in the UFC and is coached by one of the best minds in MMA.

It will be interesting to see how Chandler fares on his debut with the UFC. What do you think of his debut fight?

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Kevin Binoy is an MMA author at EssentiallySports. He earned a Bachelor's degree from Fergusson College and has been covering sports professionally for over two years. Besides working with the MMA writing team, Kevin is a core member of the organization's web stories team and is responsible for delivering engaging MMA web stories.

‘One of the Best 155-Pounders’- Dustin Poirier Predicts Michael Chandler vs Dan Hooker at UFC 257

Dustin Poirier assesses the co-main event at UFC 257

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