What's going on?
Just a month after his most recent UFC win, Kiwi lightweight contender Dan Hooker gets right back to work with a pivotal matchup at the top end of the division at UFC 267 this weekend. The current No6-ranked lightweight will square off against No5 Islam Makhachev, looking to put a halt to the hype train and punch his own ticket to a title shot.
It's a big opportunity for Hooker (21-10), who gets to go into the bout as a sizeable underdog with the bookies against a fighter many believe is a future champion. Part of that comes from who he is surrounded by, with Makhachev (20-1) having trained alongside former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov for much of his career, and part of it comes from how dominant his outings in the UFC have been. With Nurmagomedov now retired, Makhachev is now seen by many as his successor.
A fighter who relies primarily on his wrestling, the Russian has, for the most part, been able to drag his opponents to the canvas where he is able to hold them on his way to what is usually a lopsided decision – though he has shown his ability to finish opponents as well. His sole loss was by knockout back in 2015 in his second UFC appearance. Since then, he has won eight straight. However, despite being ranked inside the top 5 of the division, Makhachev has never fought anyone inside the top 10 and faces his first major test with the promotion in Hooker.
The Kiwi might be heavily overlooked by the bookies as one of the largest betting outsiders on the card, but he is very much a live underdog. Hooker will have a clear advantage in the striking exchanges, and is well-equipped to deal with a wrestling-heavy approach as he is comfortable fighting with his back to the cage, can threaten with attacks on Makhachev's takedown entries, and has a strong submission game. That said, how Hooker reacts if (read: when) Makhachev does take him down will be telling in how the bout plays out.
