The UFC has had fight cards on Saturdays for four straight weekends and it will make it five in a row on Saturday, June 27th with the UFC on ESPN 12 card. Next weekend will be the first fight-less Saturday in six weeks as the mixed martial arts organization prepares for Fight Island.
For now, we’re taking a look at the biggest bouts on this weekend’s card, starting with the headline bout between Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker.
Dustin Poirier vs Dan Hooker
Odds: Poirier -210, Hooker +170
Poirier, who is ranked No. 3 in the Lightweight Division, will be looking to rebound after losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242. Poirier was a rising star in the division, winning four in a row before that bout, which included victories over Justin Gaethje, Eddie Alvarez and Max Holloway. A loss to Nurmagomedov is nothing to be ashamed of – Khabib is 28-0 and is one of the best all-time – but a loss in this spot would put Poirier in a different light.
Hooker also has his eye on rising in the division and possibly getting a shot at the title. He has won seven of his last eight, including wins over Gilbert Burns and Paul Felder. He called out Poirier after his latest win (over Felder) and he’s not getting his wish. He’s No. 5 in the division but he hasn’t faced a lot of elite competition. The general thinking is that Poirier’s boxing and power should give him the edge in this spot, which might be why this line has climbed to -210 after opening at -190.
Mike Perry vs Mickey Gall
Odds: Perry -300, Gall +230
Perry is a huge favorite in this spot but he’s in desperate need of a win to keep his UFC career going. We’re talking about a man who has lost two in a row and five of seven coming into Saturday’s bout. He is just 6-6 in his 12 UFC fights. The UFC appears to be giving him a manageable opponent in this spot.
Gall has just eight fights under his belt and he hasn’t shown much in them. While he started 4-0, he is just 2-2 in his last four. The losses to Diego Sanchez and Randy Brown weren’t pretty, and neither was his win over Salim Touhari, which was the last time he fought.
Gian Villante vs Maurice Greene
Odds: Greene -225, Villante +175
This is an interesting bout as Villante is a Light Heavyweight who is moving up to face Green, who is a big heavyweight. His UFC profile page lists him at 205 pounds while Greene is at 265. That’s a big reason why Greene is a big favorite here.
Both of these fighters have struggled of late as Villante is coming off a first-round, knockout loss to Michal Oleksiejczuk and is just 7-8 in his last 15 fights. Greene has lost two in a row as he was submitted n the second round by Aleksei Oleinik at UFC 246 and lost in a first-round knockout to Sergei Pavlovich at UFC Fight Night: Maia vs Askren.