Dan Hooker dips to 145lbs to take on rising British contender Arnold Allen, in one of the most intriguing fights of the night. This is the toughest test for Allen to date. Many factors are at play in this fight: where is Allen’s ceiling? Is Dan better or worse at this weight class? Will Dan’s chin hold up after such a vicious weight cut?
I think if Dan comes in on his game, he’s actually a nightmare matchup for Allen. Let me tell you why.
Arnold Allen vs Dan Hooker Prediction
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Dan Hooker shows great promise in every area of MMA, he put on a striking clinic in a losing effort against Dustin Poirier, and he wrestled his way to victory versus Nasrat Haqparast. Hooker has fought at a higher level of competition than Allen for many years now, and win or lose, he’ll be a tough test for the best of any division he enters. Hooker has only really shown vulnerability to explosive strikers like Michael Chandler and Edson Barboza, but otherwise has a fantastic chin, and the heart of a lion. His striking accuracy is other worldly, and his knees should be well respected, wrestlers beware.
Arnold Allen works on pressure, he’s not necessarily a finisher, grinding out most of his fights to a decision. Allen’s last victory came over Sodiq Yusuff, which was highly impressive, but Yusuff lacks the versatility to give Allen trouble like Hooker can.
If classic Dan Hooker shows up this Saturday, his height and reach advantage should work wonders. Dan has a 3 inch height advantage, which means his long range straight shots and intercepting knees should be lethal to Allen. Allen’s best hope is his wrestling, but Hooker arguably does it better.
Another thing is the differential in cardio, Allen is a good 3 round fighter, but Hooker is built for 5 rounds. Dan Hooker should have the tools to victory, let’s hope for an action packed fight either way.
Arnold Allen vs Dan Hooker Betting Suggestion
The odds are dead even with both fighters being 10/11 to win out right. This is probably your safest bet, but Hooker by decision at 5/2 odds isn’t too shabby. If you’re feeling riskier, Hooker to win by KO/TKO/SUB/DQ is 13/5. Per Bet365
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Read my other predictions for UFC London
Nathaniel Wood vs Vince Morales
Muhammad Mokaev vs Cody Durden
Cory McKenna vs Elise Reed
Jack Shore vs Timur Valiev
Nikita Krylov vs Paul Craig
Shamil Abdurakhimov vs Sergei Pavlovich
Mike Grundy vs Makwan Amirkhani
Jai Herbert vs Ilia Topuria
Molly McCann vs Luana Carolina
Gunnar Nelson vs Takashi Sato
Paddy Pimblett vs Rodrigo Vargas
Arnold Allen vs Dan Hooker
Alexander Volkov vs Tom Aspinall
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