No. 6 Al Iaquinta (14-5, 7 KOs, 1 SUB) will meet No. 15 Dan Hooker (18-8, 10 KOs, 7 SUBs) at UFC 244 on Saturday, October 5, 2019 at the Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. The main card airs live on pay-per-view starting 10pm ET.
Al Iaquinta might be in a 1-2 slump, but “Ragin’ Al” is operating at the top of a loaded division - for now. Just two fights ago, the outspoken New Yorker was fighting all-timer Khabib Nurmagomedov for the title. He lost a unanimous decision, but remains one of the few men to have lasted five rounds with the Russian. In his followup, Iaquinta pulled off a brilliant win as a minor underdog over Kevin Lee to stake his claim as one of the best 155-pounders in the UFC. But he was busted up for five rounds by Donald Cerrone this past May, getting knocked down a few pegs.
This Saturday, Iaquinta finds himself in an important matchup with Dan Hooker in Melbourne, Australia. A native of nearby New Zealand, Hooker will surely be the crowd favorite going into the matchup. “The Hangman” also comes into the scrap with some momentum, having blasted James Vick with a first-round knockout this past July. The finish came after a brutal showing against Edson Barboza, who battered Hooker’s body so thoroughly that he could barely stand straight up.
A loss to the No. 15 Hooker would send Iaquinta spiraling down the ranks. The 32-year old is still relatively new to the top tier, taking the long route to a 10-3 UFC record that includes wins over Jorge Masvidal, Joe Lauzon and Lee (twice). Hooker’s getting a second try in three chances to beat a top 10 fighter, and a win on pay-per-view would be a huge statement.
On paper, it should be a fun fight: both men like to strike and never back down. Let’s take a look at the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and break down your best betting options. Live UFC betting at the online sportsbook lets you make bets during the fight as well.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Al Iaquinta +127
Dan Hooker -161
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: -195 / +155
Significant Striking Stats
Strikes landed per minute: Iaquinta 4.3 / Hooker 4.35
Striking accuracy: Iaquinta 41% / Hooker 43%
Strikes absorbed per minute: Iaquinta 4.05 / Hooker 5.13
Striking defense: Iaquinta 62% / Hooker 54%
Grappling Stats
Takedowns per 15 minutes: Iaquinta 0.71 / Hooker 0.47
Takedown accruacy: Iaquinta 22% / Hooker 37%
Takedown defense: Iaquinta 74% / Hooker 77%
Submission average: Iaquinta 0.3 / Hooker 0.47
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Hooker had an inconsistent run at featherweight, where he alternated wins and losses while trying to find a fighting identity that worked around his lack of speed and athleticism. Moving to 155 seem to fix things, as an improved gas tank better served his pressure-based style - he was able to overwhelm aging fighters in Ross Pearson and Jim Miller, while grinding down prospects like Marc Diakiese and Gilbert Burns.
Barboza simply proved too fast for Hooker, who suffered a lopsided beating trying to crowd the Brazilian. But the knockout of Vick reminded us that the Kiwi can bang with all but the highest level athletes. Iaquinta is an excellent fighter, but he should be much more manageable for Hooker than Barboza.
A patient, technical boxer who also loves to come forward, Iaquinta makes for an interesting matchup. Hooker makes much more use of all eight striking points, while Iaquinta usually just sticks with his fist. Neither man can be described as fast, but Iaquinta is probably the slightly better athlete. Don’t expect much grappling here, as each man resort to wrestling as a last resort.
UFC Odds Picks: Fight goes to decision -195
To be honest, this is too close to call. If we had to make a pick, we’d lean on Iaquinta’s patience and technique, but there’s a good chance that Hooker can bully the New Yorker with his size and reach. The safe pic here is that this fight goes to decision: Hooker is an excellent finisher, but Iaquinta has never been knocked out.
Bet on UFC odds at BookMaker.eu
