Dan Hooker has learned valuable lessons from his past mistakes in his fighting career and has worked to capitalize on them in recent years.
After enduring a tough stretch, losing four out of five fights between June 2020 and March 2022, Hooker has since turned things around. He’s now on a three-fight winning streak, highlighted by a thrilling Fight of the Night victory over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305 last August.
“Who knew actually training for UFC fights is a great idea? These are things you learn,” Hooker joked during an interview on Israel Adesanya’s YouTube channel.
Reflecting on his mindset during his rough patch in 2020, Hooker admitted that his focus was on the wrong goal.
“At that stage in my career, I just wanted money, and [UFC] capitalized on that, and I sold my title shot. At the end of the day, that’s what it came down to. I just wanted money, then I got money, and I was like, ‘That’s not cool! I want a world title,’ and you can’t trade money for a world title.”
Hooker revealed that a shift in mentality was key to his resurgence. He began focusing on his long-term goals rather than financial gain.
“I asked myself where I wanted to be in my career and admitted that where I had been wasn’t where I wanted to be.”
He later elaborated on the evolution of his ambitions.
“You want to be a ranked UFC fighter, but then you want more. Then you want to be a main event fighter. Then you win a main event, and you’re like, ‘This is shit as well, I want something else.’ At the end of the day, chasing the goal is the extra fun part. It’s not sitting back and holding on to that goal. Once you do that, you’re trading order.”
While Ilia Topuria and his team have teased a move up to lightweight, it appears not everyone believes that the UFC featherweight champion will make such a jump.
During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, Topuria’s coach, Jorge Climent, teased that Topuria is looking at a move up to lightweight, even if it means leaving the UFC flyweight title he won just 10 months ago behind.
The expectation had been that Topuria would have a rematch with the man he took the belt from, Alexander Volkanovski, at some point in 2025. But “El Matador” caused a stir during a radio appearance in Spain when he suggested he’s competed at 145 pounds for the last time.
One key lightweight contender, Dan Hooker, thinks that talk from Topuria and his camp is just that — talk.
Dan Hooker Doesn’t Believe Ilia Topuria Will Make Jump To Lightweight
During his own recent interview with Submission Radio, Hooker described Topuria’s remarks as “classic s***” that stems from McGregor’s own playbook from 2015-16.
“It’s pretty evident that he’s just working off the line one from McGregor’s playbook, which is keeping your name in the headlines,” Hooker said. “So, all I kind of see from it is that Ilia Topuria is keeping his name in the headlines — like the guy doesn’t fight that often. I think he just fights Volk next year.”
Topuria won the featherweight title by knocking out Volkanovski at UFC 298. He then successfully retained the title at UFC 308, becoming the first man to knock out former champion Max Holloway.
It should be noted the featherweight division is not cleaned out, with Diego Lopes and Movsar Evolev each making their claims of late for a potential title shot down the line.
Hooker, meanwhile, won his third straight fight at UFC 305 in August, defeating Mateusz Gamrot in an entertaining upset.
UFC fighters beating up streamers and social media stars is a trend that has continued to be a talking point throughout 2024. Whilst New Zealand’s Dan Hooker may be one of the kinder fighters to dish out one of these beatings, it can’t be forgotten that “The Hangman” is a trained killer that makes his living inside the Octagon.
When looking at reoccurring viral patterns, streamer IShowSpeed tends to take things to new levels by taking what others do and elevating them to even more outrageous standards. This meant that during his recent trip to New Zealand, his “IRL stream” wouldn’t have been complete without a stop off at the home of some of the best mixed martial artists on the planet, Auckland’s City Kickboxing.
A social media clip taken from his stream shows Speed boxing with the UFC lightweight contender who in a real contest, would have forced the referee to step in multiple times even if he was taking it easy.
Unlike some of the other instances of this trend that seemingly generated more negativity than anything else, the reaction to this clip was slightly different. That’s partly down to Hooker clearly not being someone that is doing this to try and really hurt his opponent and because Speed, across multiple sports, has shown a lot of courage and natural athletic ability which often leaves people impressed rather than scratching their heads.
Fans reacted via social media with many giving Speed some compliments even if he was totally outclassed as you would expect.
“Speed doesn’t even look that bad for someone with zero training”
The UFC is set to return to the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia in February and though we have several match-ups confirmed, it isn’t yet known or rumoured what will be topping the card in the night’s big attractions. You’d imagine that UFC 312 will feature several key names from Australia and New Zealand but the names at the forefront of that list is getting smaller.
It doesn’t look like former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker will make this turnaround following the injury he suffered against Khamzat Chimaev last month. Though Alexander Volkanovski was very keen to fight on home soil, if he wants his rematch with Ilia Topuria, he’ll likely have to take the fight on the featherweight champion’s terms.
It seems likely that we could see a big middleweight presence on this card via the likes of the champion Dricus Du Plessis or his last opponent, the former two-time 185-pound king, Israel Adesanya. One name that has definitively ruled himself out is Adesanya’s long-time training partner at City Kickboxing in New Zealand, Dan Hooker.
Following his win over Mateusz Gamrot at the Octagon’s last stop off down under, Hooker is set for a huge fight next time out and has expressed interest in facing Justin Gaethje for the first time. In a recent interview with Submission Radio, “The Hangman” said that he isn’t even sure what the plans are for February 8 right now.
“Yeah, probably a bit after that. I think, I’m not sure, I don’t even know who’s fighting in February.”
Hooker went on to say that though Gaethje is still his preferred opponent, it won’t be happening in Sydney. He explained that with a new addition to his family arriving right around the same time as the Octagon, it’s not a risk that he’s willing to take.
“Yeah it seems like we usually tend to get like the middleweight title on the Australian cards. There was like what, Yoel and Rockhold, and like it always seems to be the middleweight title up for grabs down under in Australia but yeah, it’s gonna be a funny one. I’m not sure who’s headlining that but yeah, I’d say it’s not me my friend. February is not the best for me. I’ve got a baby dropping, it’s due just after the first week of February so I’ll be playing with fire there and I’m more scared of the missus than I am of the UFC. We’ll pump the brakes on that and yeah, probably after Feb.”
Following his loss to Charles Oliveira in the co-main event of UFC 309, Michael Chandler called for two potential fights in the near future. “Iron” Mike admitted that he planned to push for the winner of the upcoming lightweight title fight between Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan which is expected to take place early next year.
After losing the first four rounds in his rematch with “Do Bronx”, which he nearly produced an all-time great comeback in during the fifth round, Chandler pivoted towards two huge match-ups that are still out there for him in the lightweight division. The most obvious of those two options is his long-awaited fight with Conor McGregor that somehow seems less likely than his other call out.
Chandler said that with Max Holloway committing to lightweight following his UFC 308 loss, he’d love the opportunity to fight for the BMF title that currently belongs to “Blessed”. Another name that is also in the mix for huge bouts at 155-pounds is Dan Hooker who commented on his former opponent’s BMF desires during a recent interview with Submission Radio.
“The Hangman” believes that contenders need to stop trying to decide who should fight for the BMF title because it’s a belt that is purely for the fans. He’s likely to be in that conversation as someone who always puts on great fights but Hooker isn’t going to start saying that this is what he wants next.
“I don’t see like Chandler calling for the BMF like why does everyone keep throwing their hands up for the BMF, it’s not up to us. It’s not our title, the BMF title is for the fans. It’s for the fans to kind of get the steam and get it together. People need to stop calling out for the BMF title brother. That’s the fans’ title, it’s their fun.”
Though many fans are clamoring for him to run it back with Dustin Poirier, UFC lightweight contender Dan Hooker doesn’t appear completely interested in “The Diamond.”
Following a tough stretch of results, Hooker has firmly bounced back in recent times. He most recently returned to title contention by upsetting the odds to outpoint the highly regarded Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305 this past August.
With that result in Perth, Australia, “The Hangman” could be one win away from a possible title shot. And because of that, Hooker isn’t looking to face a contender on their “way out the door.”
Following his latest win, the City Kickboxing standout initially pointed to a rematch with multi-time title challenger Poirier as a desired next fight. But that interest has seemingly dissipated, as Hooker revealed during an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned.
While acknowledging other options such as a first-time clash with Justin Gaethje, Hooker showed a surprising lack of interest in a second dance opposite Poirier.
The New Zealander cited Poirier’s planned retirement in 2025 as the reason behind his reservations when it comes to that fight, stating that he’s not keen on doing battle with somebody who has one foot into retirement.
“I’ve had a lot of the guys in the top five say my name,” Hooker said. “Arman (Tsarukyan) mentioned it for an interim title. Gaethje mentioned my name. Poirier, obviously, mentioned my name. I’m keen on any of those fights. … Dustin, I don’t know.
He laid his gloves down in his last fight, then he’s coming out and he’s saying he’ll do another one but like, as a retirement fight. I don’t know. I’m not really interested in kicking someone on the way out the door,” Hooker continued. “Gaethje, that’s obviously a fight fan’s dream, that right there. Someone new, there’s something there that fans have wanted to see for a very long time and finally kind of makes sense.”
“The Diamond” originally looked set to hang up the gloves following his failed title bid opposite Islam Makhachev this past June, but he’s since recommitted to the continuation of his fighting career for the time being.
And Poirier could even be set for two more outings should the Louisiana-held UFC event at which he hopes to retire not be scheduled until the second half of 2025.
For now, it would appear fans can cut Hooker from their speculation when it comes to Poirier’s final foe/s. That is, unless “The Diamond’s” pitch for a BMF tournament comes to fruition…
And in the aftermath of UFC Fight Night: Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings.
Men’s Pound-For-Pound: No changes.
Women’s Pound-for-Pound: The bad fortune has continued to come for Raquel Pennington. A few weeks on from losing the bantamweight title at UFC 307, “Rocky” has further fallen down the P4P ladder to #9, being usurped by a victor at that event in Kayla Harrison (#8).
Further down, Maycee Barber has entered at #15, replacing former strawweight title challenger Amanda Lemos.
Women’s Strawweight: There was just one change at 115 pounds, with the rising Iasmin Lucindo (#7) swapping places with her fellow countrywoman Amanda Lemos (#8).
Women’s Flyweight: No changes.
Women’s Bantamweight: No changes.
Flyweight: The biggest mover this week was Asu Almabayev, who has climbed a mammoth seven places to #7 after defeating Matheus Nicolau this past weekend. The defeated Brazilian, meanwhile, has dropped three spots to #10.
Further down, Charles Johnson’s latest victory this year has earned him the #15 spot. His entry has seen the removal of Matt Schnell, who announced his plans to retire earlier this year.
Bantamweight: Rob Font returned to winning ways at the expense of Kyler Phillips in Saturday’s co-headliner. As a result, the longtime contender has climbed one position to share #9 with Mario Bautista.
Featherweight: No changes.
Lightweight: Not long after UFC CEO Dana White used Max Holloway’s low spot in the 155-pound rankings as evidence that change is needed, “Blessed” has received a big boost. Ahead of his featherweight title challenge, the Hawaiian has risen by three places to #5 in the lightweight division.
That’s meant Dan Hooker’s stay in the top five was a brief one, with the New Zealander down to #6 after initially returning to the upper echelon of the weight class following a win over Mateusz Gamrot.
Pulled off one of the best KOs in UFC history to win the BMF title 💪@BlessedMMA is coming back for the featherweight throne at #UFC308
Middleweight: Anthony Hernandez has received a small reward for his main event win over Michel Pereira on Oct. 19. He’s up one spot to #12, leaving Khamzat Chimaev a position worse off at #13.
Light Heavyweight: After being snubbed of the latest shot at champion Alex Pereira, Magomed Ankalaev has moved up one place to share the #1 rank in the division alongside former titleholder Jiří Procházka.
Lower down the pecking order, Volkan Oezdemir has been relegated two spots to #8, providing small boosts for Nikita Krylov (#6) and recent title challenger Khalil Rountree (#7).
UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler remains confident of being the promotion’s first choice when it comes to Conor McGregor’s comeback fight in 2025.
Chandler was announced as the former two-division champion’s return opponent and opposition coach on The Ultimate Fighter toward the start of 2023. But while they completed the reality series, their matchup is still yet to reach the cage.
Despite that, both Dana White and “Iron” have suggested the McGregor clash remains on the table. And the former Bellator champion insist he remains first choice, even in spite of the Irishman naming Dan Hooker as his opponent instead.
During an appearance on the debut episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Chandler was asked for his reaction to McGregor’s latest remarks regarding his return to MMA competition in 2025.
The #6-ranked contender, who started his UFC journey with a victory over Hooker, dismissed McGregor’s comments while at BKFC Spain this past weekend as being serious.
And in any case, Chandler doesn’t foresee the promotion being on board with “The Hangman” welcoming the Dubliner back to action over him.
“Conor’s a very ‘flavor of the week’ kind of guy. He just had a conversation with Dan Hooker. Everybody knows Dan Hooker’s an awesome dude. You can sit there and have a beer with him, a Forged Irish Stout, in the middle of a squared ring and be like, ‘Hey, man. I like you, you like me, we can make some magic, let’s fight each other!’ I looked no further than that, honestly.
“I don’t think the UFC’s going to be very keen on McGregor vs. Hooker compared to McGregor vs. Chandler, since we need to make this fight happen,” Chandler continued. “I’m not really worried about it. It’s been up in the air for the better part of two years. So I’m not going to spend any time or energy or effort worrying about it.”
Before potentially putting his sights back on McGregor, Chandler will need to have his full energy on the opportunity to avenge the defeat he fell to in his sole UFC title fight to date back in 2022.
And should he accomplish that feat against Oliveira inside Madison Square Garden on Nov. 17, perhaps a second shot at reaching the lightweight mountaintop will await him next year.
A man or a woman will never be able to CONSISTENTLY perform in a manner that is inconsistent with the way they see themselves. – A true sense of deservedness and confidence in your ability to earn something is 🔑. – Walk On. – See you at the top! pic.twitter.com/o910zgieg5
Though Conor McGregor’s newest claims for his return matchup came out of the blue, Dan Hooker says he’s down for a fight.
While in Spain for the latest BKFC event, Conor McGregor — the BKFC part-owner and former two-division UFC champion — revealed the latest update he has on his return to the Octagon. McGregor told Bloody Elbow that his plan is to return on February 1 in Saudi Arabia, with the opponent now being Dan Hooker, not Michael Chandler.
Hooker was also present in Spain as one of the cornermen for The Mac Life’s Oscar Willis in his first-round TKO of Ben Davis in a battle of MMA media members. McGregor and Hooker were seen having a conversation in the ring following the fight.
During an appearance on Submission Radio, Hooker was asked about the exchange and McGregor’s remarks that the two are going to fight next. The #5-ranked UFC lightweight claimed he’s in as long as the UFC gives the green light.
“We had a few words inside the ring,” Hooker said. “But, yeah, February 1 works for me. We’ll get that thing straight away.
“I’m on board, he’s on board. We just need to get the UFC on board and we’ll get this thing across the line.”
Dan Hooker Interested In Conor McGregor’s Plan For Fight In Saudi Arabia Next February
As far as their conversation in the middle of the ring, Hooker says the two had a casual talk and get along well.
“We’re kindred spirits, as you can see,” Hooker said. “We get along quite well. I think we’re both very similar. There’s a lot of similarities there.”
McGregor’s comeback was scheduled to take place at UFC 303 earlier this year before he withdrew due to a toe injury. He and Chandler had been slated to fight ever since the two were announced to be the coaches for The Ultimate Fighter season 31 in 2023
Last month, it was announced that Chandler would instead face Charles Oliveira in a five-round rematch slated to co-headline UFC 309 on Nov. 16 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. “Iron” has been out of action since a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 281 in November 2022.
UFC CEO Dana White had assured that a fight between McGregor and Chandler could still happen down the line.
McGregor has previously stated he wants to fight twice in 2025. The Irishman has two bouts remaining on his UFC deal, with some insiders attributing the delays of McGregor’s long-awaited return to the promotion wanting to prevent McGregor from hitting free agency.
The former 145- and 155-pound champion has not fought since his loss to Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021.
Surprise, surprise, The King…is making claims of another new date and place for a comeback. But if it happens, is there a change in plans for his opponent?
In an interview with Bloody Elbow while in Marbella for Saturday’s BKFC event, Conor McGregor claimed that his long-awaited, long-delayed return to the Octagon will now come on February 1 when the UFC is scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia for its second event in the country.
Though rumored, there is no confirmation that this event could serve as UFC 312 — just two weeks after the promotion holds UFC 311 in January as its first pay-per-view for 2025.
What’s noteworthy about McGregor’s remarks, however, is that the opponent for such a fight would now be Dan Hooker, apparently…
Conor McGregor just said he’s fighting Dan Hooker on February 1st in Saudi Arabia 😳
Michael Chandler had long been planned to be McGregor’s comeback opponent, stretching back to their time coaching season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter in 2023. The two were scheduled to meet at UFC 303 earlier this year before McGregor withdrew.
Chandler has since been booked to face Charles Oliveira in the co-main event of UFC 309 on Nov. 16 — a rematch of their lightweight title fight from UFC 262 in 2021.
Conor McGregor Claims He Will Now Face Dan Hooker In Saudi Arabia
If this is true, what a career turnaround for Dan Hooker
UFC CEO Dana White had assured that McGregor vs. Chandler was still on the table even with the latter taking the fight with Oliveira. If McGregor’s comments are true, this would be a 180 from those plans.
The Irishman has previously claimed he wants to fight twice in 2025, which would allow him to complete his UFC contract and enter free agency. He became part-owner of BKFC earlier this year.
McGregor has not fought since his UFC 264 loss to Dustin Poirier in their July 2021 trilogy fight. Hooker, meanwhile, defeated Mateusz Gamrot in upset fashion at UFC 305 in August to return to the top five at 155 pounds.
Former interim UFC lightweight champion Dustin Poirier has committed to one final night in the cage before hanging up his gloves, and he’s got a unique idea in mind for his farewell.
Poirier initially appeared set to call time on is career following a failed title bid opposite Islam Makhachev this past June. But while his immediate comments post-submission loss at UFC 302 leaned that way, he was quick to tease a return.
During a recent interview on SiriusXM’s MMA Today show with Din Thomas and Alan Jouban, Poirier suggested a four-man tournament comprised of three former opponents of his, Justin Gaethje, Max Holloway, and Dan Hooker.
The Grand Prix-style bracket would involve BMF stakes, with Hooker being the only one of the four yet to compete with the symbolic title on the line in the UFC.
“That excites me,” Poirier said. “Because that kind of stuff is for the dogs. That’s like old Pride days or Grand Prix. That’s a real ‘BMF.’ If you can fight a tournament in one night, multiple opponents, that’s the definition of ‘BMF.’
“That would be it,” Poirier continued. “If they put that together and it was a one-night tournament, that would be it (retirement).”
And “The Hangman,” for one, seems to be in…
Hooker Co-Signs Poirier’s BMF Tournament
Following Poirier’s remarks, which also got somewhat of a green light from UFC CEO Dana White following his latest post-Contender Series press conference, Hooker was quick to give his take on the idea.
Never one to shy away from the possibility of violence inside the Octagon, Hooker is unsurprisingly up for the same-night format.
Dan Hooker Says He’s Hoping To See If Conor McGregor Wants The Fight When He’s In Spain
McGregor is sure to be in attendance at the BKFC show in Marbella, Spain on October 12, after becoming a part owner of the promotion earlier this year.
Hooker recently stated on an episode of Fox Sports’ mainevent that he will also be making the trip over.
The City Kickboxing fighter had previously said that he would be cornering his friend Oscar Willis from The Mac Life in his bare-knuckle debut on that card.
Considering that they’re likely to be in the same room, Hooker said that he may try to get a quick word in with the Irishman before heading back home.
“I know that I’ve got a big fight coming up next but I am actually heading over to Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships in Spain next week which Conor McGregor so happens to own. So yeah, by the end of next week, hopefully get a chance to either just have a word to him and see if he’s interested in the fight.”
Michael Chandler finally moving past the Conor McGregor fight to take on Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 is bound to shake up the UFC lightweight division. Ahead of the return of the former title challenger, Dan Hooker has also emerged as a new contender with three straight wins.
Hooker has returned to the top five lightweight rankings and claims to be more serious than ever about earning a title shot. He wouldn’t risk going into fights injured or without proper training. “The Hangman” is open to money fights with the likes of McGregor as well.
Here’s why Hooker thinks it makes more sense for McGregor to fight him than Chandler but the Dubliner must fulfill a unique condition…
Dan Hooker Expects Him And Conor McGregor To Drink Beers Every Day During Their Fight Camps
Hooker opened up on the current state of the UFC lightweight division in an interview on the Submission Radio YouTube channel recently. He explained that after a nearly two-year-long layoff, the Chandler matchup wasn’t intriguing enough for McGregor.
Beating Chandler wouldn’t have helped the Irishman claim a title shot or even enter the top five UFC lightweight rankings. So, Hooker suggests that fighting a top ranked and active lightweight like himself is a more sensible option for “The Notorious” at this point.
“He’s without a fight. I know Conor’s hungry to fight, um, and fight someone that he can get something from and make a lot of sense. That’s why I feel like Chandler kind of sitting there and waiting, he, and not staying active, you kind of lose. Like what does he get out of Chandler. He doesn’t even get in the… he knocks out Michael Chandler in the first round, Conor McGregor doesn’t even get in the top five off of that performance. So, therefore, like, it doesn’t. It stopped making sense for Conor McGregor to fight Michael Chandler.”
Hooker also admitted he’d be more than happy to fight McGregor. He remembered that there’s no bad blood between the two and stylistically, their bout would be quite entertaining for fans of striking and violence.
“The Hangman” joked (or maybe not) about the stipulation he’ll lay down for fighting McGregor. Both fighters must prove that they’ve been drinking beers every day of fight camp or they show failed breathalyzer tests daily.
“That’s a stipulation of the fight, we have to send each other drinking beers every single day of fight camp. We have to, we have to both agree to both agree. We maybe, we can get a breathalyzer, we can send each other a failed breathalyzer test every day of fight camp and we’ll get this thing squared away.”
Michael Chandler had been sitting out to fight Conor McGregor for nearly two years. However, with uncertainty still surrounding that matchup, he’s moved on to face Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 in a five-round co-main event.
Chandler and Oliveira previously fought at UFC 262 for lightweight gold, which was the former’s second fight in the UFC. “Do Bronxs” almost got knocked out in the first but bounced back by finishing “Iron” early in the second.
Top five UFC lightweight Dan Hooker is also close to a title shot following his win over Mateusz Gamrot. The fan-favorite brawler has an interesting theory on why the UFC has booked Oliveira and Chandler and how it benefits the promotion to have multiple contenders…
Dan Hooker Calls Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler A Weird Fight But Understands Why The UFC Booked It
Hooker discussed the highly anticipated lightweight matchup between Chandler and Oliveira during an interview on the Submission Radio YouTube channel recently. He didn’t initially seem too excited about the booking but also revealed why it makes sense for the UFC.
According to “The Hangman”, the UFC wouldn’t want Arman Tsarukyan to be the only title contender at lightweight for financial reasons. Negotiating with a fighter is harder if they’re the only obvious choice to fight for any division’s title, not just lightweight.
So, by booking Oliveira and Chandler for UFC 309, the UFC is looking to get another potential lightweight title contender. Meanwhile, Hooker can solidify a title shot too after winning his next fight. This way, the UFC will have three contenders for the belt and instead of rigid negotiations, the promotion can initiate a bidding war between the three.
“Yeah, I still think it’s Arman next and then, I feel like it’s such a. I can see why the UFC’s kind of matching the fights that they’re matching these fights is because they want options, right? Because if there’s just, if there’s just one guy that’s like head and shoulders next in line for the title and it’s set in stone, then, obviously, negotiating becomes very difficult for them because they’re like everyone expects this fight, the pressure’s on the UFC to make this fight so obviously, the bloke can ask for a s**t ton more money.”
“The Hangman” then explained how the situation mentioned above can be neutralized by having multiple contenders:
“If the UFC matches a bunch of fights and gets like three or four contenders and no one’s really sure about who’s next. Then, like, it becomes like just a bit of a bidding war between the fighters. So, I get why the UFC is doing it the way they’re doing it is because they want as many guys that make sense for the title as they possibly can. So, yeah, Chandler gets by him, you know, I win my next fight, then you got three guys that have like justification for getting a title shot.”
Despite it being obvious to most fans, the UFC hasn’t booked Islam Makhachev against Tsarukyan because of the champion’s injury. The lightweight kingpin is expected to return by the end of 2024 or early 2025, and getting a couple more contenders by then seems like the best-case scenario for the promotion, according to Hooker’s theory.
Hooker’s recent success has caught the attention of Fiziev, who, earlier this month, threw down the gauntlet on X by challenging the 34-year-old Kiwi. Fiziev even dubbed the potential matchup a “Fight of the Year contender.”
If me and Mr. Tattoo @danthehangman step into the octagon, I guarantee it’ll be an easy Fight of the Year contender 💥
However, “Ataman’s” ambitions seem to have been tossed into a cold bag by Hooker, who has expressed that he’s no longer interested in the bout…
Hooker Puts Fiziev’s Form Behind Reluctance To Accept The Bout
During a recent interview with ENGAGE, Hooker addressed Fiziev’s fight callout, revealing that he’s not keen on facing the 31-year-old Azerbaijani due to his recent string of losses.
“The Hangman” further explained that he had initially called out “Ataman” for a bout at UFC 305 but Fiziev’s request for more time meant that the opportunity has now passed.
Hooker is now aiming to fight within the top five.
“I don’t want to fight him. I’m not excited for that fight,” Hooker said. “The guy’s coming off two losses. He’s sitting on the shelf. I called him out for the Perth card; I asked him if he wanted to fight on Perth, but he wasn’t ready. Now he’s ready, but that ship has long sailed, mate. That fight does not excite me;. Obviously, it excites him, but I have absolutely nothing to gain from that fight.”
Meanwhile, Fiziev has been on the sidelines for a year following a severe knee injury sustained during his bout against Gamrot in the headliner of a UFC Fight Night event in September 2023.
Prior to that setback, “Ataman” experienced a hard-fought majority decision loss to Gaethje at UFC 286 in March of that yae. This defeat ended his impressive five-fight win streak, a run that featured pivotal victories over Rafael dos Anjos, Kevin Lee, and Renato Moicano.
Dan Hooker recently noted that Sean O’Malley is expertly playing mind games with Merab Dvalishvili in the build-up to their Noche UFC 306 clash.
“Sugar” is slated for his second UFC bantamweight title defense, where he’ll square off against Dvalishvili in the headlining bout of the highly anticipated pay-per-view event, set for this Saturday at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada.
He's always had the IT factor ✨@SugaSeanMMA aims to defend his belt at #UFC306!
O’Malley claimed the 135-pound title with a knockout victory over Dvalishvili’s teammate and close ally, Aljamain Sterling, at UFC 292 in August 2023. He went on to defend his belt in dazzling style against Marlon Vera at UFC 299 this past March, putting on a striking masterclass for the full 25 minutes to avenge the lone blemish on his UFC record.
“The Hangman” believes it’s O’Malley’s silver tongue that truly sets him apart, as he skillfully uses his sharp words to rattle his opponents, with Dvalishvili now falling into the same trap…
Hooker Predicts Dvalishvili Could Fall To O’Malley Just Like Sterling
During a recent interview with mainevent, Hooker weighed in on the upcoming O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili title fight. “The Hangman” praised the reigning champion’s ability to expertly use his reach advantage to dominate with his striking.
Drawing comparisons between “The Machine” and Sterling’s fighting styles, Hooker noted that it would be fascinating to see how Dvalishvili approaches O’Malley differently than his teammate did.
“He is incredible at controlling that distance, a sniper, an absolute sniper from range, and that’s the big thing I see in this fight—how will Merab cover that range? Because it’s a very similar style, a very similar opponent to Sean’s last one, Aljamain Sterling. Sterling and Merab have two very similar styles of wrestling; they shoot, and they’re really looking to take you down and put you on your back.”
Hooker emphasized “Sugar’s” knack for skillfully employing trash talk to unnerve his opponents in the build-up to a fight. He pointed out that this tactic worked perfectly against Sterling, causing him to make crucial mistakes that led to his defeat. The 34-year-old Auckland native also believes O’Malley is successfully getting inside Dvalishvili’s head, which could spell trouble for the Georgian fighter.
“‘Sugar’ Sean is a master at mental warfare. He was able to, you know, at the press conference, at the weigh-in, get into Aljamain Sterling’s head. So Aljamain, rather than being patient, taking his time, and setting up to cover that distance, really rushed it. He panicked and rushed. I can already sense that ‘Sugar’ is getting under Merab’s skin, and we still have so much time to go. We still have the weigh-in, the press conference, and media day. There’s still a lot of time to cover and a lot of time for ‘Sugar’ Sean to use that mental warfare.”
Hooker, at one stage, had just one win in his last five Octagon outings and that came after he made it into the top five for the first time in his career. And in his opinion, that skid was caused by a few crucial mistakes he made.
He has learned a lot in this four-year-period and is now confident that he won’t make the same mistakes that he did last time.
Dan Hooker Says That Fighting Michael Chandler At UFC 257 Was A Mistake On His Part
Hooker is now seemingly on the verge of what could be a title eliminator against the likes of Charles Oliveira or Justin Gaethje.
Though he took big fights against Dustin Poirier and the debuting Michael Chandler the last time he was in this position, he believes that the latter in particular was a mistake.
“Iron” Mike would hit the ground running in the promotion by stopping the Kiwi fighter in the opening round in Abu Dhabi.
The major issue with taking this fight is that it took place during the COVID-19 pandemic where New Zealand had very strict regulations, which compromised his preparations.
Having admitted in an interview with ESPN Australia that he has a whole new level of respect for the team around him, Hooker said that he has learned from the missteps that he has made in his career and isn’t going to waste this opportunity.
“I kind of have learnt that from my first rodeo, is to just kind of not do anything dumb this time around. I mean the last time I was number five, I agreed to fight Michael Chandler. Gave Michael Chandler a shot, it was his first fight in the UFC, I flew to Abu Dhabi so other side of the world with absolutely no coaches and went and fought him with a guy I’d been training for six months in my corner. so it was not the smartest of decisions so I guess this time around, I’m just not gonna do anything dumb or sell my title shot again.”
One of the clear highlights of the UFC 305 pay-per-view this past weekend was the lightweight contest between Mateusz Gamrot and Dan Hooker.
Given Gamrot’s position in the division and recent wins, many expected him to get this victory to take one more step closer to a title shot. However, “The Hangman” had other plans.
He gave his live reaction to the fight on his YouTube channel, where before the first bell sounded, he teed up the idea of meeting either man down the line.
“I could end up fighting one of these couldn’t I?”
Paddy Pimblett Agreed With Decision, Tees Up Dan Hooker Encounter In The Future
Like many, Pimblett agreed that Gamrot was the favorite going in. He did, however, make a point of stating that Hooker shouldn’t have been such a big underdog due to the caliber of opponents he has faced.
“The Baddy” wasn’t surprised to see “Gamer” get takedowns, but over the course of the fight, he watched as “The Hangman” kept pouring on the pressure with his forward momentum.
The fight was a close one, which the scorecards and Pimblett’s reaction seconded. But the former Cage Warriors champion did agree that Hooker did enough to get his hand raised.
While there may be 10 ranking spots between them, “The Baddy” would be open to testing himself against the fan favorite in the future.
“Fight of the night so far of what I’ve watched. Let’s see the decision anyway. I reckon Hooker, lad, to be honest. 29-28 Gamrot. 29-28 Hooker, upset, Dan Hooker back in the top five,” Pimblett said. “Could be a nice fight for me in the future.”
While he’s still reflecting on what went wrong Down Under this past weekend, UFC lightweight Mateusz Gamrot already has a next matchup in mind.
Gamrot emerged from the UFC 305 pay-per-view event in Perth, Australia, $50,000 better off after playing his part in the Fight of the Night. But the Polish standout failed to secure his main objectives — a fourth straight win and potential title shot next time out.
Having lost his place in the top five, “Gamer” is now out for redemption. Not for his latest defeat, though. Gamrot has another setback he wants to avenge before the year is out…
Gamrot Targets Dariush Rematch For December.
Speaking to Polsat Sport’s Paweł Wyrobek this week, Gamrot looked ahead to his plans to return to action for one more fight in 2024.
And in his bid to immediately bounce back from his loss to Hooker, the #8-ranked lightweight wants the man directly above him in the rankings — and the man who first halted his charge toward gold back in 2022.
“I think December would be good to come back,” Gamrot said. “If the UFC likes it too, I would like to fight Beneil Dariush. It would be good time to do this. I lost first fight with him, so I think it’s good time for a rematch.”
When the interviewer suggested the winner of the upcoming Paris showdown between Benoît Saint Denis and Renato Moicano as another possible option, “Gamer” reiterated that Dariush is his firm preference.
Gamrot and Dariush shared the cage at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. Coming off a Fight of the Night victory over current top contender Arman Tsarukyan, “Gamer” was looking to snap his veteran opponent’s lengthy losing skid to secure an opportunity at the belt.
Dariush had different plans, dropping Gamrot at one point in the fight en route to a unanimous decision verdict. The American hasn’t had his hand raised since, falling via knockout to both Charles Oliveira and Tsarukyan.
Among the biggest winners to emerge from UFC 305 was Dan Hooker, a lightweight fan favorite who enjoyed a difficult fall from grace during the pandemic. In more recent years, however, “The Hangman” has returned to winning ways in style.
And after defending his place in the rankings opposite Claudio Puelles in late 2022 before making a statement in victory over the highly regarded Jalin Turner in 2023, Hooker’s first outing of this year saw him leap back into the title conversation.
While that didn’t come as a surprise to many, Sonnen was shocked. And he sees it as a mistake on the part of the rankings panel…
Sonnen Questions Hooker’s High Place In UFC Lightweight Top 15
During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sonnen reflected on Hooker’s triumph Down Under this past weekend and commented on talk of him sharing the cage with Charles Oliveira next.
At one point, “The American Gangster” noted “The Hangman’s” recent surge up the pecking order at 155 pounds, expressing surprise and disagreement with Hooker being granted a place inside the top five.
“I owe an apology. … It was stated from Conner Burks, ‘Tatted Dan Hooker is undefeated and about to be ranked in the top five.’ I wrote back and said, ‘Well, you’re half right.’ … I have to apologize to Conner,” Sonnen said. “Hooker got ranked in the top five. That should not have happened.
“I’m surprised that that happened. We don’t know who that rankings committee is, but I think we can comfortably understand that Conner is one of them, they spoke, and that’s how they did it,” Sonnen jokingly added.
Regardless, Hooker is indeed now a top five contender on MMA’s biggest stage, and he’ll look to ride that momentum all the way into a first title shot down the line.
He wants it ALL! 😤@DanTheHangman is talkin' his talk after beating Mateusz Gamrot at #UFC305!
In his post-fight interview following the Fight of the Night clash, Hooker spoke about the number of exciting options that he now wants to chase down after this win.
Part of his declaration to the matchmakers sitting cage side included Conor McGregor, which took some by surprise.
“Look at me now! I want them all brother! I want the BMF, I want Conor McGregor, I want a title eliminator, I want everything brother! I want it all Sean, I want it all Hunter!”
Dan Hooker Explains “Troll” Motivation Behind Conor McGregor Call Out
In a post-fight interview with TheMacLife, Hooker explained why he chose to mention McGregor’s name inside the Octagon after getting his hand raised.
Of course, McGregor is still the biggest fight out there across the entire sport, let alone the lightweight division, which means he often gets called out and has done for nearly a decade.
Hooker’s call to namedrop “The Notorious” wasn’t necessarily financially motivated, though that is a huge incentive for trying to get this fight.
He said that this decision was made more because he thinks it would be hilarious to get this fight instead of McGregor being welcomed back to the UFC by Michael Chandler, which fans have waited so long to see at this point.
Hooker was defeated by Chandler back when “Iron” Mike made his UFC debut in 2021 so taking the biggest fight of his career away from him would be sweet revenge.
“I didn’t necessarily call him out, I just said like, because I am absolute troll, so it’s like the biggest troll move you could do of all time is to snake that fight off Chandler. Like he waits all that time and then Conor just fights me anyway, like that would be gold. I would feel like the biggest snake troll of all time.”
On Saturday night, the mixed martial arts leader returned for its latest pay-per-view event, UFC 305.
For the first time this year, the UFC was Down Under this week, where Perth’s RAC Arena played host to the promotion’s latest Australian show. And the promotion brought with it across the globe a notable lineup that included a title fight and a host of intriguing undercard scraps.
The championship clash at the top of the billing saw Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya’s heated feud finally reach the the Octagon, with the South African’s middleweight belt on the line seven months on from his crowning at the expense of Sean Strickland in “The Great White North.”
Elsewhere, former flyweight title challengers Kai Kara-France and Steve Erceg looked to stake their claims for a second shot at UFC gold in the co-main event, while Oceanic fan favorites Dan Hooker and Tai Tuivasa also hoped to deliver standout triumphs on the main card.
But did all those names come together to put on an entertaining night of fights? Let’s find out with all the positives and negatives from UFC 305.
Jesus Aguilar has two hobbies (among other things, I’m sure. Perhaps he’s partial to some ballroom dancing. Who knows?) — fighting Australians and locking in guillotine chokes. Combining them must have been like Christmas at UFC 305.
The Mexican entered the cage as an underdog for the first fight of the night in Perth, which many expected to be a coming out party for Australia’s newest hot prospect, the previously undefeated Stewart Nicoll.
But the 29-year-old fell to the same fate as his fellow countryman Shannon Ross did at UFC 290 in July 2023 — being left unconscious in the very first round.
In Las Vegas last year, Ross was absolutely obliterated on the feet by Aguilar in just 17 seconds in one of 2023’s most brutal knockouts. Nicoll’s demise came on the ground when he had his strong start rendered null after getting caught in Aguilar’s favorite submission move. The Mexican was, indeed, not silly. When the opportunity presented itself, he jumped the gilly and put Nicoll out — not that anybody bar Aguilar actually noticed.
That left a scary visual of the Aussie wide-eyed as his sleeping body fell back. On another note, could the referee not have maybe caught his head as it thundered onto the canvas? It feels like we regularly see superhero saves from officials in Muay Thai fights over in Asia, but on this occasion, it looked like the ref practically dodged Nicoll’s head.
Regardless, the finish was incredibly impressive from Aguilar, who now has five guillotines out of his six fight-ending chokes.
Accept a bout with Aguilar at your peril, Australian flyweights!
Negative – What One Burns Can Do, The Other Burns… Well, Can’t
With the watering down of the UFC product, there’s been quite a few instances of fighters entering the cage this year who simply aren’t of a sufficient quality to be competing on the sport’s biggest stage.
Herbert Burns, however, is a veteran of that group.
It’s fascinating to watch back Burns’ knockout of Nate Landwehr in 2020. I try not to buy into ‘fluke’ narratives, but that is a compelling one. Since then, the Brazilian has lost four straight by TKO, two of which have been the same type of retirement.
Against both Bill Algeo in 2022 and Jack Jenkins on Saturday night, “The Blaze” — an apt moniker for someone whose UFC career has gone up in smoke — responded to adversity by attempting to pull guard and collapsing to his back when desperation takedowns failed.
After a while of doing so in both instances, Keith Peterson and Marc Goddard waved the bouts off. With the memory of the Algeo fight growing ever clearer as Burns’ UFC 305 bout played out, I remarked to colleagues, “He’ll do it (fall to his back) enough times until Goddard stops it.” Like clockwork.
You know it’s bad when your brother’s own podcast is flaming you on social media, before hastily deleting…
Of course, credit has to go to Jenkins for his performance on home soil. Regardless of the opposition level, “Phar” looked on it in the striking realm. But his crisp boxing wasn’t enough to override the negative that is Burns’ latest disastrous display inside the Octagon.
Negative – A Mess
Well, the UFC 305 featured prelim when swimmingly, didn’t it?
The fight’s conclusion came after the Brazilian clutched onto his Aussie counterpart’s leg and locked in a heel hook. Things suddenly came to an end, with replays showing that Tafa had yelled out in pain. That stoppage ended up being controversial, not because it was wrong, but because the sport’s leading promotion employs commentators who don’t know the ruleset of what they’re tasked with describing to a global audience.
It’s remarkable to say, but we had two legendary former champions, Daniel Cormier and Dominick Cruz, questioning the third man inside the cage. The latter — who never shies away from using his agenda against Keith Peterson to slam referees — even went as far as to group the moment with instances of fighters having their chance to compete cruelly taken away.
Guys…Read. The. Rules.
Verbal tap out: When a contestant verbally announces to the referee that he or she does not wish to continue or makes audible sounds such as screams indicating pain or discomfort.
The fact we had to sit through five minutes of doubting the referee’s decision before texts from those better informed arrived to save the day is yet further evidence as to why Laura Sanko needs to be a permanent fixture on the commentary desk.
#UFC305 Official Result: Valter Walker defeats Junior Tafa by Technical Submission at 4:56 in Round 1.
An unhappy Tafa responded by butting heads with Walker before slapping him. The UFC has been pretty inconsistent when it comes with dealing with similar instances — Khabib Nurmagomedov continued his title reign post-instigating the UFC 229 brawl, while Paul Daley was cut and forever ousted from the promotion for his sucker punch against Josh Koscheck at UFC 113.
What happens next in the career of Tafa remains to be seen, but a release shouldn’t be out of the question.
Positive – Nightmare? I’ll Say
The welterweight division always seems to have one major prospect establishing himself as one to watch, with recent years seeing Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Garry following successful arrivals with climbs into title contention.
All signs point toward Carlos Prates joining them soon enough.
There aren’t enough superlatives to do justice to the Brazilian’s performance. He became the first man to knock out Li Jingliang, but his display was by no means defined by a sudden fight-ending sequence. Prates frankly beat “The Leech” up for the best part of nine minutes.
That’s evidently what it was going to take to get the returning Chinese fighter out of there — soften up what’s long been an iron chin with knockdown after knockdown, before uncorking one of the most clubbing hooks in recent memory to finish the job.
Add Prates to the list of, “Oh, he’s on the card? Hell yeah,” fighters in the UFC.
Considering I’m often leaping to the defense of judges, who frequently come under fire from individuals with no concept of how mixed martial arts fights are scored, it feels good to be able to grab a pitchfork this time around.
“Bigi Boy” was clinical with his performance, piecing Tuivasa up while avoiding virtually all of the home favorite’s power shots. Judge Howie Booth, however, must have gotten the red and blue corners confused because it’s hard to see any other explanation for his work at UFC 305.
Thankfully, he was relieved from his duties for the rest of the night (not that it mattered anyway given how the co-main event finished…more on that soon). But, to be honest, that scorecard is so bad that Howie probably shouldn’t be with scorecard in hand ever again.
Even hours later, I’m still trying to recall a scorecard that even comes close. Chris Lee’s 48-47 in favor of Paul Felder over Rafael dos Anjos, perhaps?
It’s 2024 and Dan Hooker is in the lightweight top five (or at least should be come next week’s update). Redemption arcs don’t come much better than that.
Hooker entered the cage at UFC 305 with an almighty task ahead of him, getting his wish to feature on the card granted in the form of a showdown with the highly regarded Mateusz Gamrot. Be it odds, fans, or analysts, basically every metric had “The Hangman” falling short to the smothering grappling of “Gamer.”
Round one saw both men exchange knockdowns, before the second frame was more a tail of the Polish fighter’s control versus Hooker’s strikes while defending Gamrot’s wrestling. And the concluding stanza was just a war that can be summed up by two-and-a-half minutes of striking success each.
Judge that.
Two cageside scorers ultimately leant the way of “The Hangman,” and with that he’s rendered the 1-4 run he entered UFC 281 in 2022 riding a distance memory. And with three straight wins and a triumph over a name like Gamrot, he is well and truly back in the mix.
If Dustin Poirier is looking for one last hurrah…rematch, anyone?
He wants it ALL! 😤@DanTheHangman is talkin' his talk after beating Mateusz Gamrot at #UFC305!
Speaking of underdogs who made a mockery of their betting lines…
Steve Erceg was perhaps one or two ill-advised takedowns away from a shock title win in Brazil this past May. And his efforts left many heavily favoring him to bounce back at the expense of the returning Kai Kara-France at UFC 305.
But in the words of the New Zealander’s teammate Israel Adesanya, “Y’all must have forgot.”
With Kai Asakura’s signing and Kara-France’s emphatic performance on Saturday night, Alexandre Pantoja isn’t short on possible challenges. And with that, the flyweight division remains among the most exciting, and one in which you absolutely should not blink.
it always seemed unlikely that the UFC 305 main event would disappoint. It was just always going to deliver, wasn’t it? But even so, what we got in Perth was special.
Add in a bit of a feud, the story of Adesanya’s return, and Du Plessis’ continued habit of proving his sizable group of doubters wrong, and you’ve got all the ingredients for a Fight of the Year contender.
Through three rounds, I had the champ leading 29-28, but that was by no means a clear and easy score. As has been the case with the South African in the past, the tale was his power shorts versus his opponents’ volume. In the end, after that had already put him up on the scorecards, “Stillknocks” connected hard in a fourth frame that had been all Adesanya, eventually putting him down and locking in a rear-naked choke.
The positives here are all around, from the entertaining nature of the fight to the pair’s respectful exchange in the Octagon in the aftermath to Adesanya’s humble approach to another setback.
Du Plessis, of course, deserves the main plaudits. He is beginning to amass a largely unrivaled résumé in the UFC, with his 8-0 record including a knockout of Robert Whittaker and the feat of being the first to submit another all-time great in “The Last Stylebender.”
Dan Hooker will find himself back in the upper echelon of the lightweight division once again after UFC 305, as he defeated Mateusz Gamrot in a closely contested war.
Gamrot got off to a strong start in the opening round, landing damaging shots on Hooker and nearly locking him in a submission. Hooker, however, seemed to show some fire in the closing seconds of the round.
That fire continued into the second round, as “The Hangman” brought forth plenty of pressure against Gamrot, including some sharp elbows. That said, Gamrot did not relent in his offense either.
The third ultimately proved to be a very even round, with both men trading control throughout.
Two judges gave the fight to Hooker, giving the win to the Oceania fighter.
MMA Fans React To Hooker’s UFC 305 Win Over Gamrot
Im not trying to a miserable freak but this sport is so past its peak lmao. Terrible events, low skill level every card, boring cards, now we have dan hooker top 5 at LW. Nah, this sport is so passed its peak. #UFC305pic.twitter.com/Ae3C0HCDI6
Hooker has now won three straight and will be likely in for a big opportunity in his next outing. The New Zealander himself mentioned in his post-fight interview a BMF title fight with Max Holloway, a showdown with Conor McGregor and a title eliminator (or interim title fight) with Arman Tsarukyan.
This fight snapped a three-fight win streak for Gamrot, meanwhile. Entering this fight, only he and Tsarukyan had wins in their most recent fights out of those in the top five of the lightweight contender rankings.
Topping the lineup will be reigning UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis, who is tasked with getting the better of returning great Israel Adesanya if he’s to record a first successful title defense and stall the three-time ambitions of the Nigerian-New Zealander.
Also set to make the walk on Saturday night will be the likes of lightweight fan favorite Dan Hooker, heavyweight slugger Tai Tuivasa, and returning welterweight Li Jingliang.
Ahead of the event, you can get some help from the group of experts at MMA News by checking out their predictions for the UFC 305 main card here.
UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya Betting Odds
Listed below are the latest betting odds for UFC 305 (as of 8/17), courtesy of DraftKings.
Main Card:
Dricus Du Plessis (-108) vs. Israel Adesanya (-112)
Kai Kara-France (+185) vs. Steve Erceg (-225)
Mateusz Gamrot (-410) vs. Dan Hooker (+320)
Tai Tuivasa (+200) vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (-245)
After unseating Sean Strickland in the American’s first defense this past January, the South African will look to avoid the same fate when he puts the gold on the line Down Under opposite former two-time champ Israel Adesanya.
Title stakes could be down the line for the co-main event winner, meanwhile, with recent challenger Steve Erceg looking to immediately bounce back from his first UFC setback against the returning Kai Kara-France.
Elsewhere on the UFC 305 card, lightweight fan favorite Dan Hooker shoots for a top-five ranking opposite Mateusz Gamrot, hard-hitting heavyweights Tai Tuivasa and Jairzinho Rozenstruik likely swing for the fences, and China’s Li Jingliang makes a long-awaited comeback.
Nevertheless, every fight has remained intact, and all that remained on Friday night (Saturday local time) was for the athletes to face off one final time at the UFC 305 ceremonial weigh-ins!
Check out a stream via the official UFC YouTube channel below, followed by all the faceoffs!
