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#2 UFC Lightweight division: Michael Chandler vs. Dan Hooker

Will Dan Hooker ruin Michael Chandler's long-awaited UFC debut?

The UFC’s latest marquee acquisition, Michael Chandler, is making his UFC debut here after a long and successful tenure in Bellator. While fighting under the UFC’s biggest competitor's banner, Chandler held their Lightweight title on three occasions and won the majority of his fights. Overall, his 21-5 record is outstanding.

But will he be able to become a UFC title contender? Truthfully, it’s a big question mark. Firstly, it’s hard to shake the idea that Chandler has left this move a little too late. He’s no longer a red-hot prospect. His legendary fight with Eddie Alvarez – the one that put him on the map – took place in November 2011, nearly a decade ago.

And in the years that have followed, he’s taken tons of damage and has suffered numerous injuries. Of his five losses, three saw him finished by strikes.

And while he’s clearly a superb athlete, the other worry is that his style makes him feel almost like a throwback. Chandler is a fighter in the classic wrestle-boxer mold, comparable to fighters like Gilbert Melendez, Tyson Griffin, Frankie Edgar, and Tatsuya Kawajiri, who ran roughshod over their respective divisions a decade ago.

But can that style cut it in 2021 in the UFC? It’s highly debatable. A grappler in Khabib Nurmagomedov has dominated the UFC’s Lightweight division. But elsewhere, it’s full of venomous finishers with more rounded overall games than Chandler.

Hooker is perhaps not one of the outright elite fighters in the division, but The Hangman is very close. A rangy, lanky striker who will have a 4” reach advantage on Chandler, the New Zealand native looks to use his kicks and long punches to keep his opponent at distance.

He’ll use his leg kicks and jabs to wear a foe down but is also comfortable in stepping forward and winging heavy combinations to do real damage. And more importantly, Hooker is insanely tough. He weathers damage like few other UFC fighters, and his cardio is equally impressive.

In his prime, I’d have given Chandler a fair shot in this fight, if not outright picked him. However, in 2021, I’m not too sure. Chandler is 34 now and may well be past his athletic prime. If that’s the case, he should be concerned.

A younger, hungry UFC contender like Hooker is going to want to make his name by beating the former Bellator champ. And unless Chandler can land a bomb or constantly secure takedowns – which is doubtful – I think he’ll do it by chopping him down across three rounds.

The Pick: Hooker via unanimous decision