Dan Hooker vs Michael Chandler is scheduled as one of the lightweight bouts on the main card for UFC 257. This fight will see Chandler in his first UFC fight ever while Hooker looks to show the rookie the ropes. Oddsmakers like Hooker, but Chandler’s value to win is intriguing enough to make him a solid betting pick. I’m going with Chandler winning by decision.
Dan Hooker vs Michael Chandler on UFC 257 will be an entertaining bout between a veteran UFC fighter and a UFC rookie. Chandler will be making his first appearance in the UFC against Hooker. Chandler has drawn a tough opponent for his first UFC match, but he wouldn’t want it any other way. He’s fresh off of a win against Benson Henderson, where he won by split decision, and he’s eager to make a run at the Lightweight title. Hooker has the edge in UFC fighting experience, but he’s coming off a loss to Dustin Poirier, so he’s looking for a win to bounce back. Before his defeat to Poirier, Hooker was in good form and riding a three-fight winning streak. Hooker has the upper-hand on Chandler in terms of height and reach so it’ll be interesting to see how the three-time Bellator champ Chandler holds up against a bigger opponent. Hooker is currently the sixth-ranked fighter in the lightweight division and has plenty of motivation to beat Chandler following his loss to Poirier, but Chandler’s betting odds are enticing. Online sportsbooks in NJ and MMA predictions say that Poirier will bounce back, but UFC betting predictions say there’s better value going with Chandler. NJ online sportsbook reviews have listings from different sportsbooks for the lightweight bout, but BetMGM has the best value on Chandler’s moneyline at +115 over both FanDuel (+108) and 888sport (+105). It’s not a bad idea to bet on Hooker, who has a significant edge over Chandler in both size and experience. Still, Chandler was impressive in his last two fights, which he won by KO, and is hungry to make a mark in the UFC with a victory over Hooker.
Chandler knows what he’s up against, so he knows he’ll have to give it his all, but I like his odds to win. Hooker’s a formidable opponent for anybody, so I don’t think that Chandler will win by submission or KO/TKO. My prediction: Chandler comes away with the win by decision.
