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The men’s lightweight contest at UFC 266 preliminary card features two exciting fighters in the division taking on each other. Dan Hooker vs Nasrat Haqparast is a fight to not miss out on. Hooker is trying to get back on the win charts after his two-fight skid while Nasrat is on a mission to show the division that he deserves to be at the top. Take a look at the prediction, odds, and fight preview for this exciting fight. UFC 266 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 25th. The event is headlined by the featherweight title bout of Alexander Volkanovski vs Brian Ortega.
Dan Hooker vs Nasrat Haqparast Fight Preview
Dan Hooker is one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC’s lightweight division. The fighter is coming off two consecutive losses against Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler. The Kiwi is desperate to get back on the winning charts. Hooker has a record of 20-10-0 in his professional MMA career. He is coming off a highlight reel KO loss against Chandler at UFC 257.
Hooker has been in the fighting game for a long time and has some wins over top fighters. The spectacular lightweight poses the danger of out striking his opponent. Some of his biggest wins are against Paul Felder, Al Iaquinta, and Gilbert Burns. Some of his defeats to be noted are against Chandler, Poirier, and Barboza. All three of them, elite fighters in their own right. His fight against Poirier was a war that showed the mentality of the “Hangman”.
As far as Hooker’s opponent, Nasrat Haqparast is a fighter that is determined to prove to the world that he is one of the best in the division. He has a record of 13-3-0 in his professional MMA career. He is coming off a win against Rafa Garcia in March of 2021. The fighter is riding on a two-fight winning streak and will look to make that there at UFC 266. Both the fighters have had their share of visa problems heading into this fight.
Read Dan Hooker’s opponent Nasrat Haqparast faces visa issues ahead of the fight at UFC 266
Haqparast’s most important wins are against Rafa Garcia, Alex Munoz, and Joaquim Silva. The fight against Hooker is undoubtedly the biggest fight of his career. He has only two losses in the UFC, one against Marcin Held and the other against Drew Dober. To get over someone like Hooker would be a great look to his fight resume.
UFC 266: Dan Hooker vs Nasrat Haqparast Prediction and Odds
According to FightOdds, the lightweight from New Zealand edges as the favorite to win this fight with the best odds of -144 while Haqparast from Germany is an underdog with the best betting odds of +150. When a top fighter like Dan Hooker is in the preliminary card, you know that the event is stacked to the top. This fight might be shadowed by the main card fights but make no mistake, this one right here is a banger and you can expect some elite fighting from both the fighters.
Prediction: Nasrat Haqparast def. Dan Hooker via decision
Though Hooker is a favorite, he is coming off a devastating KO. The two consecutive losses will affect the Kiwi’s performance to a certain extent. Meanwhile, Nasrat with his two consecutive wins is most likely to come forward and make a lot of initial setups and squeeze out a decision win. This prediction by no means is writing off the “Hangman”. We all know how dangerous he could be.
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