Although Dustin Poirier’s fans won’t be able to watch him fight from cage side on Saturday, the third-ranked lightweight is determined to show his appreciation for them in other ways. The former interim champ takes on fifth-ranked Dan Hooker in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Hooker in Las Vegas. Their clash tops the 11-fight UFC Fight Night card at the promotion’s Apex facility, with the main card scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. Although spectators still aren’t permitted because of coronavirus safety measures, Poirier said he is determined to show his fans some gratitude.

The Lafayette, La., native has vowed to pay the entire tab at select eateries in his hometown where his supporters will gather and watch the fight. He hopes they’ll go home happy after watching a victory, but Hooker is aiming to crash the party. Poirier is a -220 favorite (risk $220 to win $100), up from an open of -200, while Hooker is a +180 underdog in the latest Poirier vs. Hooker odds from William Hill. In the co-main event, Mike Perry (-340) takes on Mickey Gall (+270) in a matchup of middleweight prospects. Before locking in your UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Hooker picks, make sure to see the UFC predictions from SportsLine MMA analyst Kyle Marley.

The accomplished MMA analyst has been on fire, as he has hit 11 consecutive main-event winners, which includes a streak of five straight underdogs. Last week, he told SportsLine members to expect a decisive win for Curtis Blaydes (-400) against Alexander Volkov (-320) in their heavyweight main event. Marley said that Blaydes, an accomplished wrestler, would use takedowns to maintain control of the fight. That’s exactly what happened, as he set the UFC heavyweight record for takedowns in a fight with 14 and rolled to a unanimous-decision victory. 

Marley also called a decision victory two weeks ago for Cynthia Calvillo (-110) against Jessica Eye (-110) in the women’s flyweight main event. Anyone who has consistently followed Marley’s UFC picks is way up.

Now, with UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Hooker fast approaching, Marley has carefully studied every matchup on the card, identified the best value in the UFC odds and released his MMA picks for every fight. Those UFC picks are only available here. 

Poirier vs. Hooker preview  

At age 31, Poirier (25-6-1) already has more than 10 years of service under the UFC banner and is widely considered one of the sport’s active icons. He already has shared the Octagon with the likes of Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov, and his resume includes a win over Justin Gaethje and a pair of victories against former featherweight champion Max Holloway.

The Lafayette, Louisiana native hasn’t fought since his third-round submission loss against Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 in September of last year. Although the bout was mostly one-sided, Poirier put a rare scare into the undefeated Russian with an attempted guillotine choke that he eventually lost hold of. The champion won using the same method less than a minute later.

The defeat snapped a six-fight unbeaten streak for Poirier, who needs a win over the surging Hooker in order to maintain his position in the UFC rankings.

The 30-year-old Hooker (20-8) started his UFC career with a 3-3 mark against mid-tier competition. But he traded his reputation as a capable journeyman for one of a viable contender by winning seven of his next eight fights, with five coming by stoppage.

The New Zealander emerged with a split decision over No. 6-ranked Paul Felder, and his 2-0 mark in 2019 included a unanimous decision against the rugged Al Iaquinta, who is now ranked No. 9. You can see Marley’s full Poirier vs. Hooker picks here.

Top UFC Fight Night predictions for June 27

We’ll reveal one of Marley’s UFC Fight Night predictions here: He is backing Ramiz Brahimaj (+115) to pull the upset of Takashi Soto (-135) in a battle of welterweight prospects.

The 30-year-old Soto (15-3) has split a pair of UFC bouts against fellow promising prospects since joining the promotion in April of last year. The Japanese fighter stopped Ben Saunders in his debut before losing by submission to Belal Muhammad. He spent the bulk of his early career dominating opponents in his home country’s Pancrase promotion. 

Brahimaj (8-2) is a submission artist who will be making his UFC debut following a 4-2 run in the Legacy Fighting Alliance. The 27-year-old stopped Carlos Martinez with an arm-triangle choke in March of last year. 

“Sato could be in big trouble if he is taken down, so I am going to take the newcomer to pick up a submission upset,” Marley told SportsLine.

How to make UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Hooker picks

Marley also has strong picks for Poirier vs. Hooker and every other bout on the UFC Fight Night card. He’s also backing one combatant who’s “the better fighter everywhere.” You can see those UFC fight card picks only at SportsLine. 

Who wins Poirier vs. Hooker? And how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight on Saturday’s UFC Fight Night card, all from the accomplished expert who’s up nearly $21,000 and has nailed 11 straight main events, and find out. 

UFC Fight Night odds (via William Hill US)

Dustin Poirier (-220) vs. Dan Hooker (+180)
Mike Perry (-340) vs. Mickey Gall (+270)
Maurice Greene (-230) vs. Gian Villante (+190)
Luis Pena (-260) vs. Khama Worthy (+210)
Jordan Griffin (+105) vs. Youssef Zalal (-125)
Takashi Soto (-135) vs. Ramiz Brahimaj (+115)
Philipe Lins (-110) vs. Tanner Boser (-110)
Miranda Maverick (-290) vs. Mara Romero Borella (+245)
Sean Woodson (-490) vs Julian Erosa (+370)
Brendan Allen (-300) vs. Kyle Daukaus (+240)
Kay Hansen (-170) vs. Jinh Yu Frey (+145)