"He's willingly reckless" - Dan Hooker points out what makes Michael Chandler dangerous against Dustin Poirier's durability
Dan Hooker has weighed in on the upcoming fight between Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler. Chandler and Poirier are scheduled to lock horns in a highly-anticipated lightweight clash at the upcoming UFC 281 pay-per-view on November 12.
During an interaction with Submission Radio, 'The Hangman', who has previously fought both fighters, was asked how he sees the fight playing out. Although the Kiwi fighter found it difficult to pick a winner, he pointed out that Chandler's aggression is something that catches opponents off guard.
"The aggression of Michael Chandler is the thing that catches people out.....He's willingly reckless..that's the only way I can truly describe it," Hooker said.
Hooker described Chandler's attribute of being 'willingly reckless' in the octagon as something to look out for. He further quoted Chandler as saying, "I'm here for a good time, not a long time," as a testament to 'Iron's reckless and aggressive fighting style.
Hooker believes this trait makes Chandler an 'extremely dangerous fighter' in the opening rounds.
However, the 32-year-old also gave credit to Dustin Poirier, calling him 'one of the most durable fighters' and adding that he's very difficult to beat in the first round. He further praised Poirier, saying:
"As the fight leads on, he's very comfortable....he's been in those positions for a lot of time before."
Watch Dan Hooker's interview with Submission Radio below:
Hooker said he doesn't see Michael Chandler taking Dustin Poirier out in the first round. 'The Hangman' believes Chandler will have trouble dealing with the pace and durability of the Louisianan as the fight goes on.
Beneil Dariush aims to fight the winner of Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Chandler
In an interview with Luke Thomas on Morning Kombat, Beneil Dariush gave us a glimpse into his future plans after defeating Mateusz Gamrot via unanimous decision at UFC 280. The 33-year-old is currently on an eight-fight win streak and said that he would like to move forward with three possible names as opponents.
Dariush is eyeing a potential clash against the winner of Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Chandler at UFC 281. The other two names he suggested as alternative options are Charles Oliviera and Rafael Fiziev.
He said:
“Those are the three options.… Those are great fights, so let’s just figure this out and move forward."
Dariush went on to reiterate his love for the sport of fighting and how he does not place much importance on winning the belt.
“I don’t want to sit out for another eight months, nine months, 1.5 years... I love fighting. I just want to fight. You’re not gonna be able to dangle the belt in front of me. The belt doesn’t make me feel special".
Watch Dariush lays out his potential options (15:00) here