5 hard-hitting predictions for Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier at UFC 269

#4. Dan Hardy - Former UFC welterweight title challenger

Dan Hardy reveals his pick for Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier

Dan Hardy is of the opinion that Dustin Poirier will come up short once again in his pursuit of undisputed lightweight gold.

'The Outlaw' believes Charles Oliveira is being underestimated by the vast majority of viewers. The fighter-turned-combat sports analyst picked the champion to retain his belt, believing Oliveira is simply the better all-around martial artist.

In an interview with Submission Radio, Hardy said:

"I just think skills-wise, [Charles] Oliveira is a better martial artist all around. Whether Dustin Poirier can apply it better because he’s been swimming in this top pool for a bit longer, I don’t know. But I’ve seen no reason to believe that Charles Oliveira won’t be champion by the end of the fight. It wouldn’t surprise me if he’s able to back Poirier up against the fence and beat him up a little bit, and then catch his neck on the way in. Something like the Kevin Lee fight. But at the same time, I wouldn’t be surprised if Oliveira decides to go offensive and take Poirier down and kind of beat him up and maul him like he did Tony Ferguson. It’s a hard fight for Poirier. He’s got heart, and he’s got heavy hands, and once he gets in the swing of things and finds his rhythm if Charles Oliveira has not been prepared for those championship rounds, then for sure Dustin Poirier can take that belt. But skill-wise, from the research I’ve done, I think Charles Oliveira has got probably a 70 or 80 percent chance of coming out on top."

Official pick: Charles Oliveira

Watch Dan Hardy's appearance on Submission Radio below:

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#3. Michael Bisping - Former UFC middleweight champion

Michael Bisping reveals his pick for Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier

Michael Bisping believes Dustin Poirier's long journey will culminate in him winning the undisputed title. The former UFC middleweight champion alluded to Poirier's experience against high-level opposition as a huge factor going into the bout.

In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Bisping said:

"Dustin Poirier is another guy that has been in there with everyone. [He’s] been on quite a journey. He did manage to become the interim champ. He tried to solidify it, we know what happened. Khabib choked him out pretty quick. It was done pretty fast over in Abu Dhabi. Now, he gets a chance to go out there once again and fight for the undisputed title. He’s going up against Charles Oliveira and I am going to say, I favor Dustin Poirier in that fight, and more than likely I think we're going to see Dustin Poirier as the undisputed champion of the world."

Official pick: Dustin Poirier

Watch Michael Bisping preview Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier below: