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- Mar 12, 2011
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From watching tape, Hooker has poor striking. No jab or anything, just the occasional laboured straight. Hioki was actually outstriking him before the finish. He has decent kicks but he hardly throws them, especially when pressured. He'll just use footwork and measure distance without actually doing anything for most of the fight. I guess you can say he has good top control for beating down Entwistle after one of his failed leg locks but jeez, I wouldn't put that much stock into that.
Knight is obviously no world beater. He has no wrestling, not much power, but he has really nice oblique kicks and leg kicks, a good jab, a nice 1-2 and he stays really active with both head and body strikes which IMO is more than enough to beat Hooker. If Hooker was a good counter-puncher with power or a good wrestler I'd pick him all day, but he's not.
BTW, if you're saying it'll be a close split decision, why aren't you advocating a play on Knight yourself?
I never said Hooker has good top control lol, that's not what top control means. I stated he had good submission defence and grappling defence as he stayed calm and started hand fighting Entwhistle top escape the heel hook; as opposed to the beginner mistake of either just trying to stand up and pull your leg out OR worse, get a 50/50 position going and try for one of your own. None of that means "top control" so you might want to look up what that means.
Like I said before, I think it will be close, I've said that the whole time I've never once said Hooker wins easily. Knight's aggression will be his best tool to win but he's not the better technical striker and it'll likely come down to whether the judges score aggression or accuracy.