Dan Hooker makes his big return to featherweight as he takes on Arnold Allen in the co-main event of UFC London. Allen is undefeated in the UFC and has a lot of hype behind him. Hooker had a great run at lightweight but felt like he was stuck after losing to bigger wrestlers. The fight looks like a very exciting one on paper and appears to be a great striking match. Both men will appreciate the test ahead of them. Hooker will be looking to see if he belongs in the top-10 at featherweight and will also want to test how he feels physically cutting down to 145. Allen will face a big test and it will be interesting to see how he holds up against a former title contender.
Arnold Allen is currently undefeated in the UFC and has a very strong fanbase. He hasn't been very active and usually tends to fight once a year. His last fight came against Sodiq Yusuff where he won an impressive unanimous decision. His other impressive win came against Mads Burnell back in 2018. Yusuff was his biggest test to date and that is set to change with the Dan Hooker fight. There are still some questions about Arnold's ceiling but there's no doubt he's a talented featherweight. UFC London will help determine how far he can go.
Dan Hooker has had some big fights and big wins back at lightweight. He has some serious wins over Paul Felder, Gilbert Burns, and Al Iaquinta. He proved multiple times that he was a top-10 UFC lightweight. Featherweight is a question mark though. He didn't have a great record and lost to some of the bigger names he faced. It will be interesting to see if his time at 155 helped him improve and if that translates well to 145 this time around. Arnold Allen is the perfect test to help him figure that out.
Here are the UFC odds, featuring our Allen-Hooker prediction, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC Odds: Allen-Hooker Odds
Arnold Allen (-120)
Dan Hooker (+102)
Over 2.5 rounds (-192)
Under 2.5 rounds (+150)
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How Arnold Allen Wins The Fight At UFC London
Arnold Allen is an excellent striker and he's going to be tested against Dan Hooker. Having an answer for the low kick is pivotal and he'll need to figure out a way to deter them. Allen has a mean jab but Hooker is a lot taller and longer than him so that could get tricky. He is leading the dance is his best chance to win things on the feet although he is a good counter striker. Allen getting the finish is unluckily so staying technical, landing good counters, and using his jab are all key. Hooker will present some changes and it will test his technical abilities. Allen most likely wins a decision by controlling things on the feet.
How Dan Hooker Wins The Fight At UFC London
Dan Hooker is tricky to figure out in this fight as he has yet to prove himself at featherweight. His length should give Arnold Allen some problems at UFC London. Hooker's calf kick will be important to help slow down Allen's movement. His striking is elite so he should be able to give Allen some problems on the feet. A finish is unlikely so staying technical over three rounds is going to be important. Allen will have the speed advantage and Hooker will need to figure out his timing on this one. His power is a gamechanger but he'll need to lead the dance in order for it to be effective. Hooker most likely wins by decision.
Final Allen-Hooker Prediction & Pick
There are a lot of unknowns in this fight but looking back at Dan Hooker's time at featherweight, he struggled with speed and defense. Allen has plenty of speed and technical striking. How the weight cut affects Hooker is also going to be an important factor. The New Zealand-based fight has plenty of weapons including a low kick and power. Allen will look to close the distance use his speed to beat Hooker. The first round is going to be interesting as it will help determine who is the better striker. Allen is not proven yet but this appears to be a fight that benefits him style-wise. The Englishman wins a hard-fought decision.
Final Allen-Hooker Pick: Arnold Allen wins by decision.
