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Dan Hardy is an excellent analyst and breaks down many fights in the UFC. He recently released a video taking a look at Charles Oliveira vs Dustin Poirier at UFC 269.
Many people are torn about the matchup and find picking a winner to be very complicated. Dan Hardy spoke about his pick and the way people reacted.
Article Continues Below“When my breakdown show went up, there were a few comments about people saying ‘finally someone that’s not underestimating Charles Oliveira,'” Hardy told Submission Radio.“I find him very difficult to underestimate, if I’m honest. Anybody that pays attention when he’s fighting knows how lethal he is. Dustin Poirier is no doubt a tough, durable veteran. He’s a smart individual that’s rounded out his game with maturity and has made him a far more effective fighter.
“And if it goes into the trenches, we know he can fight through hell, and he can come out on the other side. The general feeling around Poirier is that, well, if Khabib wasn’t in the division at the same time then Poirier would have been champion. Yeah, for sure. But I think times have changed now, and Oliveira’s the champion, and I think he would be very difficult for anybody to get the belt off (him).”
Dan Hardy is leaning towards the champion at UFC 269. He sees more ways for the Brazilian to win the fight.
“I just think skills-wise, Oliveira is a better martial artist all around,” Hardy said. “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.”
Many people have been giving their predictions on the title fight at UFC 269 and it has been very complicated. It's a testament to how great the main event is.
