Dan Hooker

After winning his UFC debut, what’s next for Michael Chandler?

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This past Saturday at UFC 257, Michael Chandler (22-5) made his highly anticipated promotional debut. Chandler competed in the co-main event against Dan Hooker (20-10) and many were expecting it to be a tough fight for Chandler.

However, Michael Chandler made a massive statement at UFC 257. Chandler was extremely aggressive in the first round and never gave Hooker the opportunity to get comfortable inside the octagon.

Hooker was being pressured along the cage and never really got a chance to start throwing. Halfway through the round, Chandler through a right straight to the body and followed with a massive left hook up top.

That hook put Hooker down and Chandler followed up with a couple of shots that gave him the knockout win at UFC 257. There were high expectations for Chandler and he passed with flying colors on Saturday night.

What’s next after UFC 257?

Immediately following UFC 257, Dana White said that Chandler would likely meet Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC) for the vacant UFC lightweight title. This is of course assuming that Khabib Nurmagomedov remains retired.

The promotion seemed keen on capitalizing on the eyeballs that were on the card Saturday night. However, Dustin Poirier didn’t sound too enthusiastic about fighting Michael Chandler after Saturday night.

In his post-fight press conference, Poirier made it clear that he wouldn’t be fighting Michael Chandler next. He talked about the fact that Chandler only has one win in the UFC and that shouldn’t warrant a title shot.

In all honesty, I can see where he’s coming from. However, at the end of the day, what the UFC want is ultimately what will happen. That said, I tend to believe that Chandler will not be fighting for the title next.

Chandler strikes me as the type of guy who’s willing to take another fight to prove the point that he deserves the shot. If there’s difficulty in making a UFC title fight for him, I could see him taking on another top contender.

One guy that I think makes a lot of sense for Chandler is Justin Gaethje (22-3). Gaethje is the fight that Chandler originally wanted and he was just the interim UFC lightweight champion. If Chandler can beat Gaethje, there’s no denying the fact that he deserves a title shot.

UFC: If Khabib stays retired, Poirier will fight Chandler for the title per Dana White

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UFC, Dana White

What a night it was at UFC 257. We saw some shocking results and some incredible fights. Of course, the headlines everywhere will be talking about how Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC) knocked out Conor McGregor (22-5) in the second round.

After a good first round for McGregor, Poirier really started to hurt him with leg kicks. A couple of minutes into the second round and McGregor really wobbled from a big calf kick. Poirier swarmed and landed some shots up top that put McGregor down. 

Poirier proved he’s the best lightweight in the UFC not named Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0). Just one fight before Poirier, Michael Chandler (22-5) announced his presence against Dan Hooker (20-10) in the co-main event.

Chandler knocked out Hooker with a vicious left hand and follow up shots. There were a lot of questions about Michael Chandler entering UFC 257 and he answered all of them tonight.

During the post-fight press conference, Dana White was asked about the champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. White said that it didn’t look positive in terms of Khabib coming back to fight again which means the UFC‘s lightweight title is up for grabs. White already has a plan for the title.

UFC’s next lightweight title fight

Dana White told the media after UFC 257 that Dustin Poirier would be fighting Michael Chandler for the lightweight title next. This is of course assuming Khabib decides to stay retired.

Both men are coming off of incredible performances on the biggest stage possible. It makes perfect sense for the UFC to capitalize on the momentum of both fighters after such a massive event.

There are a lot of fans who will probably feel for Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC). Oliveira is currently riding a eight-fight win streak at lightweight. He just dismantled Tony Ferguson (25-5) back at UFC 256.

However, Ferguson is really the only big win that he has. Ferguson’s stock is also not as high after he was destroyed by Justin Gaethje (22-3) earlier in 2020. My guess is that the promotion will book Gaethje – Oliveira.

I think the fight that makes the most sense for the title is Chandler – Poirier. Two incredible performances and two athletes that will bring it for the UFC. 2021 should be a fun year for the lightweight division.

Michael Chandler knocks out Dan Hooker in the first at UFC 257

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The co-main event of UFC 257 featured a pivotal matchup in the lightweight division. Dan Hooker (20-9) was set to welcome former Bellator lightweight champion, Michael Chandler (21-5) to the UFC.

The winner of tonight’s fight was expected to be a major factor in the title picture. As mentioned, Michael Chandler was making his anticipated debut with the UFC after signing with the promotion back in September.

Chandler came into the co-main event on a two-fight win streak which included a first round knockout over former UFC champion, Benson Henderson. Chandler wanted to jump right in with the sharks and he got his opportunity tonight.

It doesn’t get much tougher in the lightweight division than The Hangman. Dan Hooker has completely turned his career around since moving to the lightweight division a few years ago.

Since moving up in weight, he’s gone 7-2 with his only losses coming to Edson Barboza and Dustin Poirier. A win over Michael Chandler tonight would have put Hooker in prime position in the UFC‘s lightweight division.

UFC 257 Recap

Round 1

The UFC 257 co-main event of the evening kicked off with a brief touch of the gloves. Chandler immediately looked to close the distance and Hooker through a nice leg kick. Hooker was flicking leg kicks while circling on the outside.

A minute in and nothing big from Michael Chandler. Hooker seemed content with throwing from the outside. Chandler throws a big body shot to kick off his striking, but it was more of a glancing blow.

Hooker was continuously working the low kicks in the first. Chandler presses Hooker against the fence and he was throwing heat, but nothing major landed. Out of no where Michael Chandler lands a massive left hook and down goes Hooker.

Chandler followed up with a few shots and it’s over. Michael Chandler knocks out Dan Hooker in his UFC debut.

Michael Chandler def. Dan Hooker by KO – Round 1

Chuck Vitolo’s guide to betting UFC 257

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Conor McGregor, UFC

Most are expecting a quick KO by Conor McGregor (-190 odds) at UFC 257 and I understand why, but hear me out.

Dustin Poirier is going to be in total defense mode in RD1 as he and the whole world knows that’s when Conor is the most dangerous. Conor finished him inside of two minutes when they first clashed in 2014 but Poirier has since blossomed into one of the best fighters in the promotion since moving up to lightweight (155 pounds) directly following the loss and its hard to believe he (and Conor too for what it’s worth) ever fought at 145 looking at the size of him now.

Judging by eye, Dustin appeared to be wearing the weight cut harder and weighed in just at the 156-pound limit so it’ll be interesting to see if that has any effect on the both as he had been looking bigger than ever in the months leading up to this fight what I believe to be a clear attempt to gain a size advantage on Conor. He’s making a major risk there as not being fully hydrated/at full strength against a lethal McGregor is playing with fire.

If he and his team are smart – and they are – they have to know his best path to victory is a submission (a Dustin submission pays +1000, great value) in round 2 or later.

On the flip side, I believe Conor is sick and tired of the “he has no cardio” narrative. His team also knows if he ever wants a real shot at beating Khabib he’ll have to evolve and I think we see a totally new approach tonight, a more methodical Conor with a pace; although he’ll surely go for a kill shot if he sees one early.

Really think this one has a solid chance of going the distance, and until I see Conor actually get hurt on his feet, let alone finished I’ll never believe it’s gonna happen. This is gonna be a dogfight, and it’ll be close but if Conor doesn’t finish him early, he’ll gas out for a bit midway but catch a second win and secure a decision win (Conor is +650 to win by decision).

DP is a legit black belt though and that submission threat is very real. On the flip side, Conor’s takedown defense and Jui Jitsu are so underrated and Dustin isn’t a terrific wrestler so it’ll be easier said than done so submit him.

Unfortunately for Dustin, his biggest strength (throwing lethal multi-punch combos) is exactly what Conor feeds into on offense as he’s probably the best counterpuncher in UFC history. It’s simply going to be extremely arduous for him to rock Conor standing, and if Conor is able to slip a few of those punches it could be lights out at any moment.

Overall, Conor is overpriced at closing at around -330 at most books and is more accurately about a -200 favorite if popularity wasn’t a factor.

This is going to be a terrific, tantalizing fight no matter how it ends up shaking out.

UFC 257 outside of the main event

Chandler – Hooker

Have to be honest, I don’t watch much, if any, Bellator so I’ve never really seen Michael Chandler fight live. I think he’s doing to be in for a rude UFC awakening against Dan Hooker (-120) though who has the antidotes for strong wrestlers in the forms of lethal knees and super slick submissions. Would be surprised to see Chandler win (even money).

Believe Hooker will get a finish here and cement himself in the top-five of the sport’s toughest division. It’s going to take an almost perfect effort out of Chandler to best Hooker who is really coming into his own and that’s a tall ask of a guy who is making his UFC debut on such a big stage against a seasoned UFC vet.

Hooker should easily be able to control the distance and even just feinting knees should keep Chandler at bay.

Ribas – Rodriguez

This will be Amanda Ribas’ (-330) true coming out party, as she’s already only about 1-2 solid outings away from a title shot and will be that much closer when she finishes a tough 12-1 Marina Rodriguez, whose only loss is against former champ Carla Esparza, tonight.

Had she not gotten a bogus two-year PED suspension that eventually got overturned, Ribas would already be in the title picture. She’s the next big thing in the women’s division.

Rest of the Main Card

The rest of the card isn’t super inspiring although there’s the potential (as always) for some crazy finishes on the prelims.

Don’t see Jessica Eye/Jojo Calderwood (-120) being very exciting although the bad blood makes it interesting. Not sure that Jessica Eye (+100) has fully recovered mentally from the vicious headkick knockout she suffered at the hands of Valentina and she has a nagging elbow injury that could hinder her.

The same thing goes for Julianna Pena/Sarah McMann (-125) as far as exactment level/chance of a crazy finish goes but I see Pena (+105) grinding out a fairly decisive decision. She’s worth a look at a play as I feel the oddsmakers have the wrong fighter favored.

Undercard

As far as the undercard goes, your best potential for a wild finish should come in the Khalil Roundtree (-380)/Marcin Prachnio bout. One of them will get KO’d and I think Prachnio actually has a solid chance of pulling out a shock upset (+300 dog) via knockout as he’s on a three-fight skid and needs to do something special if he wants to hang around the UFC.

Roundtree simply isn’t good enough to deserve to be almost a 4:1 favorite against anyone in the UFC as he’s been finished in the first round in 2/3 fights himself.

Although Prachnio has been finished in all three of those consecutive losses, they came against pretty stiff competition and was very successful in his ONE championship days.

Long Island’s own Matt Frevola is pretty significantly underpriced at +500 and is worth a look at that number.

Arman Tsarukyan (-700) is riding a significant amount (of mostly unwarranted) hype heading into this one and doesn’t deserve to be a 7:1 favorite here.

Fan favorite Brad Tavaras (+100) Antônio Carlos Junior (-120) should be a back-and-forth battle that I believe will end up going to decision but it’s really a coin flip.

Both fighters are relatively young, but extremely seasoned veterans that have fought the majority of their careers in the UFC so their records aren’t a great indicator of how high-quality they truly are.

If you’re going to play something here, Carlos Júnior by submission at +340 as he’s a high-level BJJ black belt with 8 career submissions under his belt.

Here are my personal plays for the night:

(Chuck Vitolo’s YTD record: 0-0)

• Conor McGregor +Amanda Ribas parlay to win (-145) for 3 units

• Conor McGregor by decision (+650) for .5 units

• Dan Hooker (-120) for 2.5 units

• Amanda Ribas by sub (+280) for 1 units

• Julianna Pena (+108) for 1 unit

(My max bets are 5 units and all odds are courtesy of Fanduel Sportsbook)

UFC 257 Preview: Dan Hooker – Michael Chandler

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Tomorrow night at UFC 257, we have another incredible lightweight fight in the co-main event of the evening. Dan Hooker (20-9) will be tasked with welcoming Michael Chandler (21-5) to the UFC.

Chandler is the former Bellator lightweight champion and he’s been widely considered to be one of the best lightweights in the world for a long time. After spending ten years with Bellator, Chandler made the jump to the UFC in 2020.

Chandler was actually introduced to the UFC audience as the backup for the Khabib Nurmagomedov – Justin Gaethje fight. He traveled to Fight Island and made weight, but ultimately didn’t compete.

This will be Chandler’s first true action in the UFC. Outside of a doctor stoppage due to a leg injury, Chandler has only lost once since 2015. He comes into the fight tomorrow night riding a two-fight first round knockout streak.

However, Chandler is jumping right into the deep end of the pool. Dan Hooker completely turned his career around when he moved up to 155 pounds. After struggling for years at 145, Hooker moved up and it’s changed everything.

Since moving to lightweight, Dan Hooker has only lost twice. Those two losses came against Edson Barboza and Dustin Poirier. However, he’s picked up wins over Paul Felder, Al Iaquinta, and Gilbert Burns.

UFC 257 Prediction

When it comes to my UFC 257 prediction, it’s all going to come down to the grappling. Yes, Michael Chandler has two first round knockouts in his last two fights. However, I don’t believe he wants to purely stand and trade with Dan Hooker.

Hooker is a sniper on the feet and enjoys a big reach advantage in this fight. For Michael Chandler, he’s going to have to land some takedowns or get some control in this one if he wants to win. If it becomes just a standup fight, I think he’ll get picked apart over three rounds.

That said, Chandler does have the power and speed to land one massive shot on the feet. For Dan Hooker, he needs to keep this fight standing and he needs to keep this fight at range. If he does that, he’ll be able to spoil Chandler’s UFC debut.

This is a fight where I see both men enjoying some success. I think Hooker is going to land some big shots, and I also believe that Michael Chandler is going to land a couple of takedowns as well as land on the feet. So who walks away with their hand raised?

I’m not confident in this pick at all, but I’m leaning towards Michael Chandler. If this fight was five rounds, I’d probably lean towards Hooker because I’ve seen Chandler get tired, but in three rounds, I think he’ll use his wrestling to score enough points to win two of the rounds.

That said, if Dan Hooker is able to keep this standing, I could easily see him picking Chandler apart on the feet. I wouldn’t put money on this pick, but Chandler will win his UFC debut in a very close fight.

Prediction: Michael Chandler by Split Decision

Khabib Nurmagomedov will come back if someone does something special at UFC 257

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Back in October after UFC 254, lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0) laid down his gloves and retired. It had been an incredibly tough 2020 for Khabib in which he lost his father to a battle with COVID-19. 

Khabib had promised his mother before the Justin Gaethje fight that he would retire after UFC 254. However, Dana White has been holding out hope that Khabib Nurmagomedov would change his mind and come back for one more fight. 

The original plan for Khabib was to try and retire from the UFC at 30-0. That was his father’s plan, but Khabib admitted that he didn’t want to go on without his father in his corner. Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov was the lead trainer for his son Khabib.

There is no questioning that Khabib Nurmagomedov is the best lightweight in the world. He’s an absolute animal who just appears to be getting better every time we see him. From a fighting perspective, it would be a shame to never see Khabib in the UFC again.

That is where Dana White has been coming from in wanting him to fight. Well, yesterday White and Khabib had their much anticipated meeting about Khabib’s future. After the first fight on the main card at UFC Fight Island 7, White announced Khabib’s decision.

The decision’s impact on the UFC lightweight division

White told Jon Anik that Khabib is going to wait until after UFC 257 to make a final decision. Khabib is not ready to close the door on his fighting future, however, he’s not ready to commit to a comeback just yet.

White said that Khabib will be watching next Saturday and if he feels that someone does something special, he’ll think about coming back to defend his UFC title. However, if nothing excites him, he won’t hold up the division and he will give up the title.

The Conor McGregor (22-4) rematch is what the UFC wants to do. However, McGregor has to get by Dustin Poirier first. For now, the decision really didn’t give us anything new. We know that Khabib is not fully committed to retirement, but at the same time, he’s not committed to coming back yet.

Michael Chandler believes he will be the UFC lightweight champ this year

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Michael Chandler

One of the biggest storylines for the UFC that came outside the actual octagon in 2020 was the promotion’s signing of Michael Chandler (21-5). The former Bellator lightweight champion finished his contract back in August.

After he knocked out Benson Henderson, Chandler was the hottest free agent in MMA. All of the big promotion’s were throwing money at him, however, there was one place he knew he wanted to be at.

Despite the UFC not offering the most money, Chandler signed with the biggest MMA promotion in the world. For Michael Chandler, signing with the UFC was more about his legacy and the competition over the money.

Chandler has made it very clear that he wants to prove that he’s one of the very best in the world. He served at the backup at UFC 254 if Khabib Nurmagomedov or Justin Gaethje would have fallen out of the main event.

Chandler showed up and made weight despite not being officially booked for a fight. He wanted to get the feel of being in the UFC and he wanted to meet everyone behind the scenes to get a sense of what it’s like.

After initially struggling to get him a fight, the promotion has booked Chandler for his debut at UFC 257. Chandler will be taking on top lightweight contender, Dan Hooker (20-9), in the co-main event of the evening.

Will Chandler become a UFC champion?

Michael Chandler recently sat down with MMA On Point where he talked about his journey in getting to UFC 257. He made it clear that he believes he will prove he’s the best in the world saying, “I truly believe I’m going to be the UFC Lightweight Champion this year.”

Defeating Dan Hooker would be a great first step for the former Bellator champion. However, even beating Dan Hooker isn’t likely to net Chandler a title fight right away. More than likely, he will have to win twice to get that shot at the title.

Granted, starting in January is a great thing for Michael Chandler and the UFC. Chandler has a desire to be active in 2021 and if he’s going to be champion, he’s going to have to fight three times this year.

Michael Chandler does have the skills to become a champion in the UFC. However, it’s going to be far from easy, but that’s his prime motivation. Chandler’s addition made the best division in the promotion even more exciting in 2021.

UFC targeting Justin Gaethje – Charles Oliveira per Dana White

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Last night the UFC President did a live Q&A for fans and subscribers of ESPN+. Dana White fielded a number of questions on a variety of topics surrounding the promotion. A fan asked him about what’s next for Justin Gaethje (22-3).

The former interim lightweight champion is coming off of a loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0) at UFC 254. Since then, it’s been relatively quiet on what would be next for The Highlight.

The speculation was that Gaethje would be fighting Michael Chandler (21-5) at UFC 257. However, as we’ve recently learned, Dan Hooker (20-9) is going to be tasked with being the first to welcome Chandler to the UFC. 

With those two booked against each other, White said they have an opponent in mind for Gaethje. White said that the UFC is working on Gaethje taking on Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC) if all goes as planned.

UFC lightweight showdown

This is the perfect fight to make for the lightweight division. It’s also the fight that makes the most sense given the current landscape of 155. Conor McGregor (22-4) and Dustin Poirier (26-6, 1 NC) are headlining UFC 257 in a couple of weeks.

White said that the winner of that fight will be the number one contender. There had been speculation that the fight could be for the UFC lightweight title should Khabib Nurmagomedov completely vacate his title.

However, it appears that it will just be a title eliminator. Should Khabib stay retired, the winner of UFC 257 would likely take on the winner of this proposed matchup between Gaethje and Charles Oliveira.

Prior to the loss to Khabib, Gaethje had won four fights in a row and all of them came by knockout. Charles Oliveira is looking better than ever and he just picked up his eighth straight victory at UFC 256 over Tony Ferguson (25-5).

It appears that the UFC is putting together a little lightweight tournament. White said last week that in a perfect world, Khabib would fight one more time. If that happens, the winner of UFC 257 would get the shot at him.

If that were to happen, the winners of the Gaethje – Oliveira and Chandler – Hooker fights would likely fight. However, I believe that Khabib is likely to stay retired thus the winner of McGregor – Poirier will take on the winner of Gaethje – Oliveira for the UFC lightweight title.

State of the UFC’s lightweight division entering 2021

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As we close out 2020, the UFC‘s lightweight division is in limbo. The reason is that the undisputed champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0), said after his last fight that he was walking away from competition.

Khabib choked out Justin Gaethje (22-3) at UFC 254 to successfully defend his title. While in most cases the UFC would just move on and book a title fight for the vacant title, Dana White has said that he’s going to try to convince Khabib to compete again. 

Originally, Khabib wanted to retire at 30-0. However, after his father passed away this year, the UFC lightweight champion promised his mother that his fight against Justin Gaethje would be his last fight.

As of now, we still don’t know what’s going to happen. Nurmagomedov came out this week and said he believed that his title could be up for grabs at UFC 257. The main event of that card features the rematch between Conor McGregor (22-4) and Dustin Poirier (26-6, 1 NC).

State of the UFC’s lightweight division

If we do get confirmation that Khabib is no longer going to fight, it would make sense that McGregor and Poirier fight for the UFC title. The promotion wanted McGregor to fight for the title in 2020. Poirier is the former interim champion and deserves another shot.

It’s a fluid situation, but I think there’s a good chance we see some form of UFC title fight happen at 257. Although not officially announced, the co-main event that night is also a big fight for the lightweight division.

The UFC‘s prized signing of 2020, Michael Chandler (21-5), is expected to make his promotional debut. We found out last week that it appears he will be taking on Dan Hooker (20-9) in the co-headliner.

Again, that’s not confirmed. Whoever wins that matchup will be right at the top of the division alongside Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC). Oliveira announced his status as a top contender at UFC 256.

A few weeks ago, Oliveira completely dominated Tony Ferguson (25-5). The fight was incredibly one-sided and Oliveira should be in the conversations for a title eliminator after that performance.

2020 was a rough year for Ferguson who lost in dominant fashions to both Oliveira and Justin Gaethje. Ferguson was the boogey man of the lightweight division for so many years. However, he took a major step back in 2020.

There’s a reason why the lightweight division has been the best in the UFC for some time. It’s a murderers row of contenders and with Khabib stepping away, the division is up for grabs. Should be a very fun 2021 in that division.

UFC booking Dan Hooker – Michael Chandler (Report)

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There are reports out this evening that are saying the UFC has booked a lightweight contest between Michael Chandler (21-5) and Dan Hooker (20-9). The news was first reported by Stuff, a media outlet in New Zealand. The bout will take place at UFC 257.

Michael Chandler posted on social media a couple of weeks ago that he was entering camp for his UFC debut. However, he didn’t say who he’d be facing. The speculation was that he’d be facing Justin Gaethje in his debut.

Dana White even alluded to that potential matchup in the last couple of weeks. However, Dan Hooker also came out last week and said that he was in training camp for his next UFC fight.

The rumors started running on if Hooker would be facing off against Chandler. Assuming this report holds true, we now know that Dan Hooker will be the lightweight responsible for welcoming Michael Chandler to the UFC.

Hooker is coming off of a loss to Dustin Poirier back in June. That loss snapped a three-fight win streak for Hooker. He will enter the cage on January 23rd currently ranked as the sixth best lightweight in the world.

UFC debut for Michael Chandler

Michael Chandler will be making his anticipated UFC debut in January. As mentioned above, we knew that Chandler would be making his debut likely at UFC 257. However, we had been missing the opponent.

Dan Hooker is a very interesting matchup for Michael Chandler. Chandler will enter the octagon having gone 5-1 in his last six fights with the lone loss coming to Patricio Pitbull in May of last year.

UFC 257 is proving to be a pivotal night for the lightweight division. Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier are headlining the card and Chandler – Hooker is expected to be the co-main event of the evening.

There has been rumblings that the McGregor – Poirier fight could be for a title if Khabib Nurmagomedov sticks to his retirement. However, nothing is official as of yet. Dana White is expected to meet with the lightweight champion in a few weeks.