Dan Hooker vs Benoit Saint Denis has Just Bleed written all over it

[ExitLUPin]

Makes sense too. The top of LW is incredibly straightforward, as far as matchmaking, right now:

Topuria-Tsarukyan
Holloway-Oliveira II
Gaethje-Pimblett
Hooker-BSD
Gamrot-Dawson
Moicano-Chandler
Ruffy-Hernandez

Arnold Allen makes his LW debut against Fiziev (if he isn't moving down) or Bahamondes.

 

[Mr.Maelstrom]

What you got against Dan, bro? Lol

Would be a banger however long it lasts, though for sure

 

[fortheo]

it makes sense, but I think benoit would submit Dan without much issue. Dan barely scraped by Turner and gamrot to get to where he's currently at in the division. He hasn't looked particularly lethal in a long time and is probably on the downside of his career at his age and after an injury and long career

 

[JoeRowe]

Makes sense too. The top of LW is incredibly straightforward, as far as matchmaking, right now:

Topuria-Tsarukyan
Holloway-Oliveira II
Gaethje-Pimblett
Hooker-BSD
Gamrot-Dawson

Dawson is booked, but if he wins next month. I'd like Hooker vs Moicano & BSD vs Gamrot, but the top 3 fights are no-brainers.

Although Diva Justin Gaethje would probably decline Paddy.

 

[ArtardFiesta]

be a good fight.

 

[ExitLUPin]

it makes sense, but I think benoit would submit Dan without much issue. Dan barely scraped by Turner and gamrot to get to where he's currently at in the division. He hasn't looked particularly lethal in a long time and is probably on the downside of his career at his age and after an injury and long career

Gamrot and maybe Turner (I realize he lost to Frevola, but that was over 6 years ago) are probably better than anyone BSD has beaten. Prime Dariush is better than both, but 2025 Dariush is past it.

BSD's grappling isn't on the level of Makhachev or Tsarukyan, and I don't think he's as schooled or overwhelming in the clinch as those 2 to get to the dominant positions they achieve. He has a lot of holes defensively with his striking that Hooker can exploit. BSD had issues implementing his grappling against Prepolec, and Hooker is far better everywhere, especially the defensive grappling. As we saw against Gamrot, he is not an easy guy to impose grappling on; Makhachev and Tsarukyan are just that good. I don't believe BSD is on their level. Ruffy's grappling was largely untested, and it was the classic "distance-managing striker gets crowded/swarmed by grappling threat and game completely falls apart".

 

[ExitLUPin]

Dawson is booked, but if he wins next month. I'd like Hooker vs Moicano & BSD vs Gamrot, but the top 3 fights are no-brainers.

Although Diva Justin Gaethje would probably decline Paddy.

That is strange matchmaking for Dawson. Talk about a big step back, while being a dangerous fight.

 

[Mr.Maelstrom]

it makes sense, but I think benoit would submit Dan without much issue. Dan barely scraped by Turner and gamrot to get to where he's currently at in the division. He hasn't looked particularly lethal in a long time and is probably on the downside of his career at his age and after an injury and long career

I think the apex war with Dustin took a significant chunk of his prime away, and not a "shaved several years off the end" chunk.

He's never looked quite the same degree of "sure of himself" since.

Learning about the levels there are to something is a great lesson, unless it's the 2nd or even 3rd time

 

[Gabe]

BSD would take him down and beat him I think.

 

[prime_lobov]

Not a fan of Benoit, but he would beat Hooker easily. Dan needs to be fighting unranked cans at this point.

 

[BEATDOWNS]

Makes sense too. The top of LW is incredibly straightforward, as far as matchmaking, right now:

Topuria-Tsarukyan
Holloway-Oliveira II
Gaethje-Pimblett
Hooker-BSD
Gamrot-Dawson
Moicano-Chandler
Ruffy-Hernandez

Arnold Allen makes his LW debut against Fiziev (if he isn't moving down) or Bahamondes.

BSD is on a 3 fight win streak why would he fight a guy coming off a loss? are you dumb? Hooker needs to fight Moicono loser leaves town. imho

 

[fortheo]

Gamrot and maybe Turner (I realize he lost to Frevola, but that was over 6 years ago) are probably better than anyone BSD has beaten. Prime Dariush is better than both, but 2025 Dariush is past it.

BSD's grappling isn't on the level of Makhachev or Tsarukyan, and I don't think he's as schooled or overwhelming in the clinch as those 2 to get to the dominant positions they achieve. He has a lot of holes defensively with his striking that Hooker can exploit. BSD had issues implementing his grappling against Prepolec, and Hooker is far better everywhere, especially the defensive grappling. As we saw against Gamrot, he is not an easy guy to impose grappling on; Makhachev and Tsarukyan are just that good. I don't believe BSD is on their level. Ruffy's grappling was largely untested, and it was the classic "distance-managing striker gets crowded/swarmed by grappling threat and game completely falls apart".

A big part of my prediction is the fact that i believe Dan is on the downside of his career, while I believe bsd is still improving.

Bsd didn't have that many issues against prepolec. He got pretty much every takedown he wanted, didn't get touched in round one at all, decided to strike in round 2 a bit, took a couple punches, missed one or two half hearted takedown attempts I think, then bullied prepolek in the clinch, took him down and submitted him half way through round two.

Bsd isn't as good as Arman and and islam overall in grappling, but he successfully forces a grappling contest arguably more often than they do -- The guy is averaging a lot of takedowns and submissions In his career. Obviously he Is facing worse competition, but I don't think Hooker is the level of grappler needed to stop bsd's bum rush. BSD's physicality would be a factor here I believe, too. I think he's good enough to put dan on his back and get the fight finished there.

I see this a lot like the gamrot vs. Hooker fight, but with bsd being bigger than gamrot, more dangerous on the feet, and a better finisher on the mat, and Dan being older and more injured/shopworn than he was just last year. I'm just not convinced 36 year old hooker after a long injury is quite as dangerous as he used to be.

Like I said though, the fight makes sense. Dan deserves the chance to prove me wrong. I'd like to see it booked.

 

[Koya]

it makes sense, but I think benoit would submit Dan without much issue. Dan barely scraped by Turner and gamrot to get to where he's currently at in the division. He hasn't looked particularly lethal in a long time and is probably on the downside of his career at his age and after an injury and long career

He also had negative IQ in the turner fight where he hurt him badly standing then took him down and let him recover

 

[188912345]

BSD is on a 3 fight win streak why would he fight a guy coming off a loss? are you dumb? Hooker needs to fight Moicono loser leaves town. imho

I don't think Holloway, Charles, or Gaethje want to fight him, since Holloway vs Charles most likely happens, and Gaethje is waiting for his unearned titleshot.

 

[svmr_db]

I'd rather see Gaethje vs BSD, but maybe Gaethje will stick to his guns & retire if he doesn't get a title fight lol who knows.

 

[fortheo]

I'd rather see Gaethje vs BSD, but maybe Gaethje will stick to his guns & retire if he doesn't get a title fight lol who knows.

Gaethje vs. BSD would be a mess of a fight for as long as it lasted. I Could see Gaethje knocking benoit's head off, but could also see benoit landing something wild and grabbing gaethje's back and choking him out.

I believe bsd is still In his skill development phase. He started late and I don't think he'll peak for another year or two. Fortunately for him, he's 29 in a division filled with guys in their mid 30s who seem to be winding down. Only Arman and ilia are the other two guys under 30 in the top 10. If I'm bsd's manager, Im going for another old man next like hooker. Feast on the old guard while you polish up your skills a bit more.

 

[SkinnyClaw]

it makes sense, but I think benoit would submit Dan without much issue. Dan barely scraped by Turner and gamrot to get to where he's currently at in the division. He hasn't looked particularly lethal in a long time and is probably on the downside of his career at his age and after an injury and long career

I was actually thinking Dan might guillotine Benoit

 

[fortheo]

I was actually thinking Dan might guillotine Benoit

There's only one way to find out.

 

[ExitLUPin]

 

[KO Shotz]

I don't think it'll be a banger. I think BSD mops the floor with Dan.