5 must-watch underrated fights at UFC 267

#2. Dan Hooker vs. Islam Makhachev (UFC lightweight division)

UFC lightweight contender Dan Hooker has been receiving a lot of love from the MMA community. His journey to UFC 266 included travel and visa issues, not having a proper training camp due to COVID-19 restrictions in New Zealand and making weight shortly after landing in Las Vegas.

Despite all these adversities, 'The Hangman' delivered a highly impressive performance against Nasrat Haqparast, winning via a dominant decision. Hooker will now make a quick turnaround to face Islam Makhachev at UFC 267.

Makhachev, over a short period, has become a force to be reckoned with in the lightweight division. The Dagestani fighter is currently riding an eight-fight winning streak in the 155-pound shark tank. The 30-year-old has only lost once in his professional MMA career, which happened way back in October 2015.

Both fighters have called each other out in the past. Makhachev is known for his elite grappling skills. Hooker, who mostly relies on his striking to win fights, showed in his last outing that he is also not averse to the idea of takedowns. So, it would be exciting to see how this clash of styles turns out at UFC 267.

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#1. Li Jingliang vs. Khamzat Chimaev

UFC 267 will mark the much-awaited return of Khamzat Chimaev, one of the most popular prospects currently in the UFC.

'Borz' made huge waves in the MMA world last year. Chimaev made his UFC debut in July 2020, and stacked up three back-to-back wins in just a period of 66 days, setting a new record in modern UFC history. He also won a 'Performance of the Night' bonus for each of his three fights.

The Swedish fighter then contracted COVID-19, and has remained out of action for a year due to its lingering effects. The 27-year-old will now return to face his first ranked opponent in Li Jingliang. 'The Leech' is coming off an impressive knockout win against Santiago Ponzinibbio earlier in January.

It remains to be seen if Chimaev lives up to his hype or Jingliang breaks into the top ten of the welterweight rankings.