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Tag: Dan Hooker

  • Hooker: Covington Must Be Held Accountable Regardless Of Character

    While he acknowledges that Colby Covington has developed a character in front of the camera, UFC fan favorite Dan Hooker believes the welterweight contender should still be held accountable for his words.

    Barring perhaps controversial middleweight Sean Strickland, there aren’t fighters who split opinion among the MMA fanbase quite like Covington. The former interim champion and two-time undisputed welterweight title challenger flipped a personality switch in 2017, a move that has developed him into one of the most prominent and discussed athletes on the UFC roster today.

    From comments on rival Kamaru Usman’s father and heritage to constant onslaughts on former teammate Dustin Poirier and his family, not to mention the rant in Brazil that started it all, Covington has made his name by talking trash and creating headlines.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CWeDDg_vqa5/

    At this point you’d be hard-pressed to find a fighter who hasn’t, in one way or another, been at the end of a Covington insult. If you are on the search for one, you can move past Hooker.

    “The Hangman” found his name in Covington’s mouth following his 2020 main event defeat to Poirier. While attempting to discredit his former ATT peer’s victory, “Chaos” questioned how it took “The Diamond” 25 minutes to defeat Hooker, even describing the New Zealander as “not really that good of a fighter.”

    While Hooker is certainly not one to be bothered by another fighter’s words, especially when they come from someone he perceives to be playing a character, he still believes Covington should be held accountable for his insults and attacks.

    “Do I like him personally? I can’t say that I do. Do I understand and appreciate his skill set in the sport? Yes, I do. Do I understand exactly what he’s doing with his character? I understand that too,” said Hooker during an interaction with John Hyon Ko for The AllStar. “I hear from people that know him and went to college with him that he’s a cool guy, he’s a really chilled guy, a nice guy, helpful guy. But that character is not.

    “You still have to be, as a man, you still have to be accountable for the things you say, even if you put a Trump hat on, even if you put a suit on and you get girls to stand next to you, you mouth off to me, you’re gonna have to (own it),” Hooker continued. “The things he says, even though I know (it’s a character), he’s talked shit about me—I know what he’s doing, he’s just kicking up shit on Twitter and social media. But as a man, if I see you, we’ll still have a problem, whether you said it or your character said it. Me and you, man to man, we still have a problem.”

    Hooker On Masvidal/Covington: The More Emotional Fighter Will Lose

    Given how Covington has approached his recent fights, which saw an animosity-fueled build-up to UFC 268 last November, it’s safe to say the #1-ranked welterweight’s next outing will follow suit.

    “Chaos” is set to headline this weekend’s UFC 272 pay-per-view alongside bitter rival and former teammate Jorge Masvidal. Given the pair’s history, which included a period living together and training with one another, fight week is set to deliver on the bad blood the pair share.

    With that in mind, Hooker believes the result will come down to which fighter is able to suppress their emotions most effectively when they’re standing opposite each other inside the cage on Saturday night.

    “You’d say at this level, and with this much experience, that these guys would have that (sorted). I’d say it’s by choice. You’re gonna want to take all of that emotion out,” suggested Hooker. “The fighter that goes in that Octagon out of Jorge and Colby with emotion, is gonna lose. Without a doubt. Whoever carries emotion into that cage—anger, resentment, jealousy—whoever carries that in is gonna lose. I’d say it would serve them well to take that emotion out of it.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CafVdDShuAv/

    While Hooker is getting set for a fight of his own, a return to featherweight against Arnold Allen at UFC London later this month, he’ll no doubt be firmly invested in the action at UFC 272, like the majority of fans around the world.

    Do you agree with Dan Hooker? Will this weekend’s UFC 272 main event come down to which fighter can suppress their emotions the most effectively?

  • Hooker Explains Why Fighters Didn’t Face Islam On Short Notice Like Him

    Dan Hooker knows firsthand how difficult it is to face Islam Makhachev.

    The UFC event coming up on Saturday night has gotten a facelift. The main event was originally scheduled between Beneil Dariush and Islam Makhachev, but unfortunately, Dariush was injured and removed from the fight. Makhachev was still an option but finding him a replacement could have been a difficult task. One man did step up, however: Bobby Green.

    Bobby Green claims to be lightweight 'BMF' after accepting Makhachev fight on short notice - MMAmania.com
    Bobby Green, Image Credit: Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

    Makhachev is one of the most dangerous men in the lightweight division. He has been rising up the rankings for a while now and with nine wins in a row, he is a problem in the division.

    Dan Hooker was the last man to lose to Makhachev and is shedding some insight on why no other ranked opponent stepped in on short notice against Khabib Nurmagomedov’s protégé. (h/t Sportskeeda)

    “You can draw down the list of fighters that don’t really have a fight right now. I guarantee you that every single one of them was asked if they wanted to fight Islam and there’s a reason Bobby Green took the fight because none of these other guys stepped up to the plate,” Hooker told The AllStar. “To take on a guy like Islam on one or two weeks notice is a pretty tough call and [Dustin] Poirier and [Michael] Chandler and Tony Ferguson wouldn’t even be expected to make that kind of jump or sacrifice just because the risk is not worth the reward for a guy with a name like… The reward is not there for a fighter like Dustin Poirier to take on Islam on a weeks’, or two weeks’ notice. It just doesn’t make any sense for him.”

    Makhachev is currently ranked fourth in the division and has been discussed as a possible title contender with a win over Dariush. Now that he is facing Green instead, the title contention discussion might not still be there.

    Green is coming off two impressive wins, but he is not ranked. Makhachev has been calling for top ten opponents for a while now, and Dariush was the answer. Now, he might have to face another top-five opponent before receiving that title shot he has been searching for.

    Do you think Islam Makhachev is the best fighter in the top five at lightweight?

  • Arnold Allen Explains Why He Accepted Fight Against Unranked Hooker

    Arnold Allen believes his upcoming fight against Dan Hooker at UFC London is a key point in his career.

    Allen is currently the seventh-ranked featherweight and is 17-1 as a pro, including being 8-0 in the UFC. However, he still doesn’t have the biggest name in the division, so he knows if he can beat a fan-favorite in Hooker, it would be big.

    “I think it will definitely put me in the top-five talks. That’s why I was all for the fight because it definitely puts me up there,” Allen said to The Sun. “If you loom at the guys he’s fought recently at lightweight, the weight above, he’s coming down and I think he was ranked eighth at lightweight. So he’s coming down to fight and a [win] will for sure propel me to those top boys. It’s kind of a funny division, featherweight, at the minute. All those top guys, the top-five or top-six, they’re all kind of tied up with each other anyway.”

    As Allen says, the division is a weird one with Alex Volkanovski and Max Holloway likely to have their trilogy if Volkanovski gets past Korean Zombie. After that, there is no clear next contender as Calvin Kattar and Josh Emmett are both a fight away, but if the Brit can win this one impressively, he could jump the line.

    Arnold Allen, Dan Hooker
    Arnold Allen, Dan Hooker (Image Credits: Jeff Bottari/Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

    However, even with a potential title eliminator bout being next, Arnold Allen says he isn’t experiencing any added stress.

    “I’m not feeling the pressure. It’s what I train for; this is what I’ve been doing [for],” Allen said.

    “The pressure, if there is pressure, bring it on. It’s what I’m here for.”

    UFC London goes down on March 19 and sees Alexander Volkov vs. Tom Aspinall as the main event.

    Who do you think will win, Arnold Allen or Dan Hooker?

  • Hooker: Turning Down Fights While You’re Healthy Is Unfathomable To Me

    Fan favorite and always-game UFC star Dan Hooker has questioned why fighters who are “young and healthy” turn down bouts.

    If there’s ever been a fighter down for anyone and everyone, it’s “The Hangman.” Hooker has never shied away from an opponent, from the thankless task of welcoming three-time Bellator champion Michael Chandler to the UFC to a short-notice clash with fear-inducing Dagestani phenom Islam Makhachev.

    It’s that exact willingness that has landed him in a featherweight matchup against rising Englishman Arnold Allen at UFC London on March 19.

    Allen is currently 8-0 in the UFC, a record that includes wins against Makwan Amirkhani, Nik Lentz, and Sodiq Yusuff, and is ranked #7 at 145 pounds. However, he is yet to breakthrough as one of the bigger names on the roster.

    With that in mind, there’s seemingly not a host of high-ranked names willing to face the “Almighty” Ipswich native. In Hooker’s mind, he’s usually the one who ends up in front of those kind of opponents.

    But while that may have led to his downfall at lightweight, for the time being at least, Hooker isn’t planning on changing his strategy.

    During a recent interview with John Hyon Ko for The AllStar, the New Zealander said the idea of turning down fights is “unfathomable” to him at this point in his career. While he’s healthy and young, he sees no reason not to accept opponents.

    “I get in the gym and I have fun. You’re doing all this training, young and fit, make hay while the sun is shining,” said Hooker. “If I’m healthy I’ll take a fight. Turning down a fight while you’re young and healthy is just unfathomable to me. That’s not something I comprehend. If you’re fit and healthy, you see (some) like, ‘Wait, wait, wait, wait.’

    “Man, it’s such a small period of time that you have the opportunity to go out there and be young, and get after it, and really chase goals, and do things. So, I’m just making the most of that. I’m definitely making the most of that,” concluded Hooker.

    Hooker’s Remarks Come After Gillespie Was Accused Of Turning Down Fights

    Dan Hooker’s take on the practice of turning down fights comes after UFC lightweight Gregor Gillespie was accused of doing exactly that.

    Following his first setback in professional MMA, a brutal knockout loss to Kevin Lee in 2019, Gillespie didn’t enter the Octagon for nearly two years. He returned at UFC Vegas 26 last May and finished Brazilian veteran Carlos Diego Ferreira via second-round TKO.

    But without a fight booked since, it appears it could be another year gap between fights yet again for the top-10 155lber. While the UFC has to offer its fighters three bouts a year, Gregor Gillespie has fought just twice across the past three years.

    In the mind of former UFC star-turned-MMA analyst Chael Sonnen, Gillespie’s inactivity is his own fault. “The American Bad Guy” recently revealed he’d heard talk of “The Gift” turning down multiple opportunities and instead attempting to hand-pick Tony Ferguson as his next foe.

    While Sonnen provided little evidence, a callout late last year from Arman Tsarukyan provided some legitimacy to the claim. In an Instagram post, the Armenian-Russian suggested he’d accepted an offer to face Gillespie from the UFC. However, with him now set to face a different opponent, it stands to reason Gillespie turned it down.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CVUvQ6MMf0B/?utm_source=ig_embed

    If Sonnen’s sources are correct, it doesn’t take a genius to work out what Hooker’s thoughts on Gillespie would be…

    Do you agree with Dan Hooker? Is it wrong for “young and healthy” fighters to be turning down bout offers?

  • Dan Hooker: Being A Dan Hooker Fan Is Not An Easy Run

    Dan Hooker knows that he is not everyone’s cup of tea.

    Dan Hooker is on a new journey in the UFC. After a successful run in the lightweight division, he is now heading down to featherweight. hooker has his first opportunity at 145 pounds as he was recently matched up with Arnold Allen for the UFC London event in March. Hooker’s journey at lightweight ended when he lost three of his last four in the division. Hooker fans may have been looking for an undisclosed reason for the slide, but Hooker has no excuses to give them.

    “Nah, it just sounds like excuses at this point,” Hooker told The AllStar. “Excuses, to me, are like, there’s a lot of people that when you lose, fall off the bandwagon, and there’s a lot of people that are half in and half out,” said Hooker. “I feel like your excuses are to try and convince, or not even excuses, but if you give a reason, you’re almost trying to convince the people that are teetering on the edge of whether to support you or not support you, you’re trying to get them back on the bandwagon. That’s not my intention. If you don’t wanna support me, don’t support me.”

    Hooker’s run in the 155-pound division wasn’t all bad. He put together a string of eight wins from 2017 to 2020 and put himself in line to fight some of the best in the UFC, including Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler. This change-up of weight classes will be new hope for Hooker’s title aspirations. However, he is being realistic with his fans.

    “I will admit, I will 100% admit, being a Dan Hooker fan is not an easy run, you know what I mean? It’s not like being a Khabib fan. That’s one guy in the history of this sport that has done that,” added Hooker. “Being a Dan Hooker fan is a tough road, and if you wanna be on that bandwagon, we take the bumpy road, we take the off-road; there’s cracks in our road, there’s bumps, there’s hills, but it’s fun. We’re here because we ride rollercoasters. We’re not here for smooth sailing. If you want smooth sailing, there are plenty of other fighters with nice, pretty records and 0s and this and that. That’s not what my story is about, that’s not why I do this, that’s not what I find fun.”

    His first test at featherweight since 2014 will be a tough one. Allen is on a ten-fight winning streak and has not yet lost since entering the UFC. He is ranked seventh in the division, and Hooker will be looking to replace him in the top ten with a win in London.

    Do you think Hooker will fair any better at featherweight than he did at lightweight?

  • Arnold Allen Fight Coincides With Dan Hooker’s Reason For FW Move

    UFC fan favorite Dan Hooker is ready to make a splash when he returns to featherweight, starting with an impressive performance against England’s Arnold Allen.

    Despite his recent run of form consisting of losses to some of the best lightweights in the world, Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, and Islam Makhachev, Hooker feels that to remain in contention for UFC gold, he has to make a change.

    Believing he doesn’t have a place among the 155-pound elite until the landscape of the division changes, “The Hangman” made the decision to move back to 145 pounds.

    While he initially targeted dream fights with “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung and Brian Ortega, Hooker has had to settle for a contender outside the top five. Nevertheless, a victory over Allen will certainly insert the New Zealander right into the title picture at featherweight.

    The pair are set to throw down on March 19, a date that will signal the promotion’s return to London, England. While “Almighty” Allen targets a triumph in front of his home crowd, Hooker will be looking to spoil the party for the Ipswich native.

    Hooker Hopes To Steal Allen’s Momentum

    Despite going 1-3 in his last four Octagon outings, Hooker isn’t returning to featherweight with the aim of taking easier matchups and rising the ranks slowly. He wants to get straight into the mix at 145 pounds and book dates with the top names in the division.

    With Allen, that is exactly what he’s getting. The Englishman is unbeaten in the UFC. Across his unblemished 8-0 promotional record, the 28-year-old has established himself as one of the fastest-rising contenders thanks to victories over Makwan Amirkhani, Nik Lentz, and Sodiq Yusuff.

    Discussing how the matchup came together in an interview with The AllStar, Hooker explained why Allen is the kind of opponent he usually accepts, while others tend to turn down.

    “He is really good, but not like, a big name. I can see why I got that fight because I generally get the fights that other people don’t wanna take,” said Hooker. “That’s generally how I wind up with opponents… I feel like this is the situation with Arnold Allen, where he’s a super-talented fighter, very technical, well-rounded, and not the biggest name. Those are the difficult fights.”

    While others have perhaps shied away from the challenge of defeating Allen, Hooker is excited by the prospect of becoming the first blemish on the #7-ranked contender’s résumé.

    “For sure, it excites me to get out there and get the opportunity to stop that run, stop a run like that, undefeated in the UFC, 8-0. That’s a huge accomplishment in itself, to reach that sort of achievement, so the opportunity to get out there and stop it, and to take all of that momentum that he’s carrying off those eight wins and take it for myself, that’s what excites me about this fight.”

    While he isn’t taking the task of handing Allen his first loss in MMA’s premier promotion lightly, Hooker is anticipating a place right in the mix among the featherweight elite if he is successful on March 19.

    “Without a doubt, he’s #7 and he’s got all that hype,” added Hooker. “I’m not looking past Arnold or anything like that, but yeah, that (victory over Allen) gets you one of those big-name guys in the division, and that’s really like, my main motivation for going down to featherweight and for making the cut, to put myself straight back in the mix.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CWmZYdeJQdD/

    Having previously gone 3-3 during his initial stint at featherweight in the UFC, Hooker will be after more consistency when he makes his return to the lighter weight class.

    Who do you think will have their hand raised at UFC London, Dan Hooker or Arnold Allen?

  • Dan Hooker: People Defending Jon Jones Are F*cking Idiots

    Dan Hooker has stood by the comments he directed at Jon Jones, and suggested those who defend the former UFC light heavyweight champion are “f”cking idiots.”

    In one of the more unlikely social media feuds in recent times, Hooker, a UFC veteran who will be returning to featherweight from lightweight at UFC London on March 19, took aim at the recent discretions of two-time 205-pound king and GOAT contender Jones.

    During his ongoing period of inactivity, which came after he vacated the light heavyweight title to pursue a move up to heavyweight, Jones found himself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons yet again. Just hours after being inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame Fight Wing last September, “Bones” was arrested for battery domestic violence.

    In the days and weeks that followed, a host of names and personalities, including Anthony Smith, Daniel Cormier, Chael Sonnen, and Brendan Schaub publicly spoke out about Jones’ latest run-in with the law. In December, it was “The Hangman” who took aim.

    After Jones appeared to mock Chael Sonnen’s December arrest and compared it to his own, Hooker defended the former two-division UFC title challenger and, in doing so, slammed Jones’ September incident.

    In response to Hooker’s remarks, Jones suggested the New Zealander was only getting vocal because he was jealous of the former light heavyweight titleholder’s success.

    “@danthehangman, every opportunity you’ve had to make a name for yourself and be closer to your boy Izzy, you dropped the ball. You can’t achieve greatness, so you hop online and attack someone who has. Sounds about right.”

    Not one to back down, Hooker turned the attention back to Jones’ domestic violence charge.

    Hooker: “I Said What I Said & I Stand By It”

    After going back-and-forth with Jones on social media, Hooker appeared to have the last laugh after “Bones” deleted his post. Now, in an interview with John Hyon Ko for The AllStar, “The Hangman” has looked back on his interaction with his UFC peer.

    Hooker’s takeaway from the incident? Don’t come for him when he’s at least two beers deep on Christmas Day.

    “It is what it is. It’s the internet. Brendan Schaub was right, he’s not wrong. I feel like he (Jones) definitely didn’t receive a lot of criticism for the things he’s definitely done,” said Hooker. “But it wasn’t really until he bit back at me… I didn’t tag him in it or anything like that, then he decides Christmas Day to tag me in. Dan Hangman was drinking some beers on Christmas Day. It’s a bad day to come at me on Twitter. If I’ve had a couple beers, it’s a bad day to come at me because I’m gonna shoot back, and I’m not gonna bite my tongue as most people would.”

    Ultimately, Hooker said he completely stands by his words, and while an official fight with Jones wouldn’t make sense, the fan-favorite New Zealander says he’d be open to a car park scrap if Jones still harbors ill will towards him, something he’d never back down from after criticizing someone publicly.

    “I said what I said and I stand by it. I would never say anything about someone or to someone and not give them the opportunity to not punch me in the face,” added Hooker. “Do I have any kind of malice or ill will towards Jon Jones? Definitely not, I don’t spend any time thinking about Jon Jones, I couldn’t care less about Jon Jones. Would we have a fight? No, the fight would never make sense. Would I fight him in the car park? If he had a problem with me, of course, I would oblige.

    Dan Hooker, Jon Jones
    Dan Hooker, Jon Jones

    “I would never insult someone and not give them the opportunity to punch me in the face. That’s an entirely different discussion. But do I have any ill will towards Jon Jones? Nah, definitely not.”

    Discussing how the exchange came about, Hooker said he was compelled to defend his “mentor” and “good guy” Sonnen after Jones attempted to group the retired fighter’s arrest, which seemingly came after he attempted to defend his wife, with his domestic violence charge.

    “I don’t know too much about Jon Jones, you can only see what he’s done… It was more that Chael Sonnen’s my guy. That’s my guy. I view Chael as a mentor… He’s a good dude, he’s a great guy,” Hooker continued. “As Brendan Schaub said, those are two entirely different situations, and the way that Jon tried to portray it with Chael was that they were similar. He goes out his way to share the thing of Chael getting arrested.

    “He’s trying to compare them but, there’s like, a definite line. To me, defending your wife from people insulting her is one of the most honorable things you could possibly do. And then to put hands on your wife is one of the most terrible things. This is just my viewpoint.”

    In Hooker’s mind, the sides of the coin are simple; either you’re against domestic violence in all forms or you think it’s fine as long as the attacker is good at a sport. For “The Hangman,” those who follow the latter mindset are “f*cking idiots.”

    “As far as I’m concerned from what I said, there’s like, only two arguments. that come to it, it’s people that think it’s not okay to physically abuse your spouse, and then the other side of it is people that think it’s okay if you’re really good at a sport. Those people are, excuse my French, those people are f*cking idiots, like, those people are just young and immature and not up to scratch. It’s just not okay… There’s no possible way you could convince me there’s any kind of exception,” concluded Hooker.

    With his social media fight versus Jones now behind him, Hooker will turn his attention to his return to the Octagon. He’ll hope to push back towards contention when he moves down to 145 pounds to face Arnold Allen.

    While his toughness and willingness to trade blows inside the cage have always been clear, the New Zealand brawler is evidently not afraid to bite back at his fellow fighters on Twitter when he thinks they’re in the wrong.

    Do you agree with Dan Hooker’s take?

  • Dan Hooker vs. Arnold Allen Set For UFC London On March 19

    Dan Hooker will make his return to featherweight when he takes on 145-pound contender Arnold Allen at UFC London on March 19.

    The event, expected to take place at the O2 Arena, will mark the UFC’s first trip to England’s capital since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The promotion confirmed the addition of Hooker vs. Allen to the card on Monday.

    While the March 19 card will represent the UFC’s return to across the Atlantic, it will mark an even bigger homecoming for Hooker (22-11), who will be returning to featherweight for the first time since 2016.

    After a 3-3 start in the UFC at 145 pounds, “The Hangman” made the move to lightweight. There, he initially went 7-1 and defeated the likes of Gilbert Burns, Jim Miller, Al Iaquinta, and Paul Felder. But since a main event victory over “The Irish Dragon,” Hooker has seen his form plummet.

    In his last four outings, the New Zealander has gone 1-3, falling to defeats against Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, and Islam Makhachev. Despite those names representing three of the toughest tests in the weight class, Hooker acknowledged that returning to contention will be difficult in the current lightweight landscape.

    After a successful trial weight cut to 145 pounds late last year, Hooker made it clear he was pursuing a return to featherweight. Now, with his desired matchups against “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung and Brian Ortega not coming to fruition, “The Hangman” will be welcomed back to the division by a surging Englishman.

    At UFC London, Hooker will be looking to score one for the internationals when he faces Ipswich native “Almighty” Allen (17-1). The 28-year-old is widely considered the hottest prospect at 145 pounds and has found himself at #7 in the rankings after a perfect 8-0 start in the UFC.

    Allen’s record on MMA’s biggest stage includes triumphs over Makwan Amirkhani, Gilbert Melendez, and Nik Lentz. Most recently, he established himself as the top rising contender in the division by getting past Sodiq Yusuff in April 2021.

    Allen and Hooker will join a stacked UFC Fight Night card with a host of exciting names. The event will be headlined by an intriguing heavyweight contest between perennial contender Alexander Volkov and England’s best hope for a UFC heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall.

    Listed below are the fights currently expected to go down on March 19 in London, England:

    Alexander Volkov vs. Tom Aspinall (heavyweight main event)

    Dan Hooker vs. Arnold Allen (featherweight)

    Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Sergei Pavlovich (heavyweight)

    Jack Shore vs. Timur Valiev (bantamweight)

    Paddy Pimblett vs. Kazula Vargas (lightweight)

    Nathanial Wood vs. Liudvik Sholinian (bantamweight)

    Makwan Amirkhani vs. Mike Grundy (featherweight)

    Molly McCann vs. Luana Carolina (women’s flyweight)

    Cody Durden vs. Muhammad Mokaev (flyweight)

    Jake Hadley vs. Allan Nascimento (flyweight)

    Cory McKenna vs. Elise Reed (women’s strawweight)

    Who do you think will have their hand raised at UFC London, Dan Hooker or Arnold Allen?

  • Pimblett On Makhachev’s Record: “I’d Submit Hooker In The 1st Round”

    UFC lightweight prospect Paddy Pimblett is not at all impressed with Islam Makhachev and his title credentials, claiming he’d also be able to submit Dan Hooker in the first-round.

    Since falling to his only loss professional MMA at the hands of Adriano Martins in 2015, Makhachev has built a win streak impressive enough to ascend him into the top five at 155 pounds.

    Victories over Arman Tsarukyan, Davi Ramos, and Drew Dober landed the Dagestani his first main event slot. At UFC Vegas 31, he made the most of it by submitting formerly-ranked contender Thiago Moisés. Having risen to #5 on the lightweight ladder, much to the bemusement of some, Makhachev had the chance to jump closer to the title three months later on Fight Island.

    The Abu Dhabi fan favorite faced short-notice opponent Hooker at UFC 267 after a clash with long-time rival Rafael dos Anjos fell through for the third time. In the opening round, Makhachev showed his superiority on the ground by submitting “The Hangman” with a brutal kimura.

    Having defeated a top-10 opponent and extended his active win streak to nine, many are beginning to sing the praises of Makhachev and brand him a future champion, suggesting he could perhaps even hold gold by the end of 2022. However, one rising 155lber doesn’t share the same sentiment.

    During a recent appearance on Michael Bisping’s Believe You Me podcast, Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett downplayed Makhachev’s form and résumé. After suggesting the #4-ranked lightweight hasn’t beaten anyone of note except Hooker, Pimblett claimed he’d be able to beat the New Zealander in a similar fashion.

    “Makhachev hasn’t fought anyone lad,” Pimblett said. “He’s only fought Hooker. I think I’d submit Hooker in the first round. That’s what I mean, he’s a kickboxer lad. I’d take him down and submit him.”

    Pimblett Can’t See Makhachev Beating Gaethje, Oliveira Or Dariush

    Following his victory over Hooker, many expected Makhachev to perhaps be accelerated to the title next. Unfortunately for him, Justin Gaethje’s winning performance in a Fight of the Year contender against Michael Chandler effectively prevented that from being a possibility.

    With “The Highlight” set to challenge for Charles Oliveira’s gold this year, Makhachev has had to settle for a title eliminator against #3-ranked contender Beneil Dariush.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CXtKADJKVW-/

    But while many see Makhachev ending Dariush’s seven-fight win streak before dethroning the winner of Gaethje vs. Oliveira in late 2022, Pimblett doesn’t believe the Dagestani has what it takes to beat any of them.

    “Whoever wins out of Oliveira/Gaethje (will enter 2023 with the title), because I can’t see Makhachev beating either of them… I think Dariush beats Makhachev. I rate Dariush mate, I think he’s very underrated. He’s fucking quality.”

    We won’t have to wait long for the first of those three predictions to be tested. Makhachev and Dariush are set to headline a UFC Fight Night card on February 26.

    Barring an inconclusive end to the next title fight or the intervention of a certain Conor McGregor, it stands to reason the victor will be joining the champion inside the Octagon at the end of this year.

    Who do you think will have their hand raised on February 26, Islam Makhachev or Beneil Dariush?

  • Jon Jones & Dan Hooker Partake In Hostile Christmas Exchange

    Jon Jones and Dan Hooker partook in a big exchange on Christmas Day, and they weren’t swapping gifts.

    Earlier this week, Hooker threw a bit of shade in the direction of Jon Jones after the former light heavyweight king’s comments on Chael Sonnen’s recent brush with the law.

    When Jon Jones was arrested for battery domestic violence of his fiancée in September, one of the people to weigh in on the matter, as expected, was Chael P. Sonnen.

    Sonnen has become one of the most vocal figures of MMA about any trending topic in the sport, but perhaps no subject has been more extensively covered by Sonnen than all things Jon Jones.

    The relationship between Sonnen and Jones has gradually deteriorated in the years after they coached The Ultimate Fighter together in 2013, which culminated in Jones blocking “The Bad Guy” on Twitter earlier this year.

    Jones apparently was unpleased with what Sonnen had to say about his latest arrest, which prompted “Bones” to immediately chime in after Sonnen was issued multiple battery citations in Las Vegas over the weekend.

    “It’s funny how the people who criticize and judge you the most have some of the nastiest things in their closet. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. You’ll get no stones from me, good luck,” Jones posted in one of the pair of tweets he submitted Sunday.

    Sonnen himself has yet to respond to Jones or even address the matter of his arrest at all as of this writing. In fact, thus far the only account we have at the moment is an uncorroborated one from Brendan Schaub, who claimed Sonnen’s battery citations were a result of defending his wife from five harassers.

    Wednesday, Dan Hooker came across a story that covered Schaub’s version of what took place over the weekend with Sonnen, and he appeared to throw shade at Jones when retweeting the article.

    “Imagine beating up 5 people and not one of them is your wife. (JJones RN),” Hooker posted along with a “mind blown” emoji.

    The full details of Chael Sonnen’s Las Vegas incident remain unclear and it remains a developing story. Saturday, however, Jones’ response had nothing to do with the original subject matter of Sonnen and was instead targeted at firing a direct shot at Hooker.

    Jon Jones & Dan Hooker Partake In Hostile Christmas Exchange

    If there is one thing MMA fans have learned about Jon Jones over the years it’s that he is never shy about replying to his critics, whether it’s fans or any of his peers, regardless of weight class or current activity status. Furthermore, his responses are liable to come at any given moment, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, even in the middle of Christmas day.

    In-between the holiday festivities at the Jones household, the former light heavyweight king managed to step away from his loved ones to fire the following retort at the “Hangman.”

    https://twitter.com/JonnyBones/status/1474808807368761345

    “@danthehangman, every opportunity you’ve had to make a name for yourself and be closer to your boy Izzy, you dropped the ball. You can’t achieve greatness, so you hop online and attack someone who has. Sounds about right.”

    Hours later, Dan Hooker returned with the following retort:

    “I was triggered by your disingenuous attempt to bring attention to Chael’s situation. He was arrested for defending his wife, you were arrested for assaulting yours,” Hooker said with an apples to oranges emoji.

    “Life hack: if you don’t beat up your wife, family events will be more enjoyable. Merry Xmas bitch.

    The domestic violence charges against Jones were dismissed last week following a plea deal, which included the completion of anger management counseling. Jones has denied assaulting his fiancée.

    As Jones alluded to in his response, Hooker has had his share of struggles in the Octagon, specifically in his most recent fights. Hooker has gone 1-3 in his last four bouts, prompting him to try his luck back down at featherweight in 2022.

    What do you make of this Christmas exchange between Jon Jones and Dan Hooker.

  • Dan Hooker Wants To Make Featherweight Return Against Brian Ortega

    Dan Hooker wants one of the featherweight division’s biggest challenges for his return to the weight class.

    Hooker recently revealed that he asked UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby to face Brian Ortega for his first featherweight fight since 2016. This conversation took place at UFC 269, where Hooker was cornering teammate Kai Kara-France.

    Hooker, a regular at lightweight, recently had a successful practice weight cut at featherweight. He posted his successful attempt on Instagram, showing that he was able to meet the 146-pound limit.

    Hooker claimed he wanted to join the division with a fight against The Korean Zombie. However, after he was informed that Zombie is injured, he shifted his focus to the two-time title challenger.

    “After Kai’s win, [I saw] Sean Shelby on the way out, and that’s the first time I’ve heard from him since the featherweight [post online],” said Hooker in an interview with The Mac Life. “He’s obviously seen it, and he was like, ‘Well, what are you going to do? 55, 45?’ I said yeah, 45. I can make 45 quite comfortably if I get something good. He goes, ‘Who do you want?’ I said ‘Korean Zombie,’ but he’s injured. What about Ortega? He goes, ‘Oh, I’ll have a look. I’ll send you a list.’ I was amped up.” (h/t MMA Junkie)

    Potential Fight Gives Hooker & Ortega A Chance To Rebound

    Dan Hooker
    Dan Hooker (Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

    Dan Hooker’s UFC run initially started at featherweight, competing six times in the weight class from 2014 to 2016. He later shifted to lightweight, where he has competed for his last 12 appearances.

    Hooker is planning to drop down a weight class after fighting against some of the top names at lightweight. Over the past year, he has faced former Bellator Champion Michael Chandler and rising lightweight contender Islam Makhachev.

    A potential bout against Ortega gives both fighters a chance to bounce back after recently facing defeat. Ortega notably lost a title fight earlier this year, dropping a decision to divisional champ Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 266.

    Who do you want Dan Hooker to face in his featherweight debut?

  • Hooker On FW Move: We’ll Cross Volkanovski Bridge When We Get To It

    Dan Hooker has spoken about the prospect of moving down to a featherweight division currently ruled by teammate Alexander Volkanovski.

    Hooker, who began his UFC career at 145 pounds, has seen the initial success he achieved after moving up to lightweight stall. Having followed a 3-3 featherweight stint with a 7-1 start at 155 pounds, which saw “The Hangman” add the names of Gilbert Burns, Al Iaquinta, Paul Felder, and James Vick to his résumé, Hooker’s pursuit for gold hit a roadblock at the top five.

    Since a main event victory in his home country last February, Hooker has seen Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, and Islam Makhachev have their hands raised at his expense. In an effort to revitalize his career, the 31-year-old looks set to return to his old stomping ground in 2022.

    https://twitter.com/danthehangman/status/1462956932486946820

    Hooker Not Fazed By Joining Division Ruled By Teammate

    The UFC featherweight throne is currently occupied by Volkanovski, a City Kickboxing teammate of Hooker. “The Great” successfully ascended the weight classes’ mountaintop with a victory over Max Holloway in 2019, a feat he repeated in his first title defense seven months later.

    Having now brushed aside the challenge of Brian Ortega, Volkanovski, who is riding a 20-fight winning streak, has staked his claim as one of the most dominant active champions in the promotion.

    In a recent interview with It’s Time For Sports, Hooker was asked about the possibility of meeting his friend and teammate inside the Octagon if he commits to a featherweight switch. After stating they’d “cross that bridge” when they arrive at it, “The Hangman” suggested having multiple members of the team high up in a division is not a bad scenario.

    “It’s like, cross that bridge when it comes to it. That is the same as like, Brad (Riddell) in my division at lightweight. It’s never a bad position to be in. To have your training partners or your group of friends so good at fighting that you might, potentially, have to fight each other to be the best fighter in the world. That’s not the worst situation. But it’s like, I want Volk to win as well and I see him being super successful as well.”

    With the ever-changing scope of each division, Hooker also mentioned that his path may never cross with that of Volkanovski, who he predicts will go onto big things in the next few years.

    “The landscape of something can change so quickly in this sport. Over the next year you could see Volk doing some incredible things. You could see Volk moving up to lightweight and being a double champ, and then, you know, fighting Conor McGregor and walking away with $20 million or something crazy. That’s what I see for Volk. You can’t beat me. I want him to win as well, I want Brad to win as well, I want my teammates to be successful as well. It’s not like I want to be successful at their expense. I want to be successful but I want to see them do some incredible things as well.”

    Before reaching the stage where he enters contention, Hooker will first have to establish himself at 145 pounds and record some wins. In what would be a pretty tough first assignment, “The Hangman” recently revealed a clash with “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung would be at the top of his list of desired fights.

    Whoever he ends up facing, there are certainly some exciting matchups for Hooker, with the likes of Calvin Kattar, Giga Chikadze, and Shane Burgos all awaiting him at featherweight.

    Would you like to see teammates Dan Hooker and Alexander Volkanovski collide at featherweight?

  • Hooker: I Can’t Be A Contender In The Current Lightweight Landscape

    Dan Hooker has suggested his likely return to featherweight derives from the fact he can no longer be a contender in the current lightweight landscape.

    A month out from his latest defeat in the Octagon, Hooker hinted towards a possible move back down to the weight class in which he began his career in. In a clip posted to Twitter, “The Hangman” can be seen making the 146-pound limit for non-title featherweight fights. He later confirmed the planned move in various interviews.

    https://twitter.com/danthehangman/status/1462956932486946820

    Hooker’s decision to return to the division he went 3-3 in between 2014 and 2016 comes after his initially successful lightweight stint came to a faltering end across the last year. Since victories over the likes of James Vick, Al Iaquinta, Gilbert Burns, and Paul Felder left him 7-1 at 155 pounds, the New Zealander has lost three out of four fights.

    After falling short in a five-round war against top contender Dustin Poirier last June, Hooker was finished by the debuting Michael Chandler in January this year. Following a brief rebound against unranked prospect Nasrat Haqparast in September, the 31-year-old was submitted by surging Dagestani Islam Makhachev in Abu Dhabi a month later.

    In an interview with It’s Time For Sports, Hooker discussed his decision to set his sights on another divisional roster after his second loss of 2021. Having been beaten by three of the top five, “The Hangman” suggested he can’t be a contender at lightweight until the landscape of the weight class changes.

    “It’s just not exciting, what are you gonna go back (and fight the same guys)? you know what I mean? I’m just being real. I know where my skillset lies with those guys and I know the circumstances of the fights and the circumstances that those fights were taken under, I understand that, and I understand that if everything was a perfect world, the results of those fights definitely wouldn’t be what they were. We all know that.

    “But that’s not the fact of the situation. The fact of the situation is that I’ve lost to three of the top-five guys. Under that landscape, this is just fact, under that landscape, you’re not gonna be able to make a run at the top couple of guys in the division or towards the belt until the landscape of that division changes. You would have to stay busy and fight until the landscape of the division changes, or move down to a division which I feel comfortable competing in and I feel like I have a lot of advantages in that division.”

    Hooker Has Options At Featherweight

    The featherweight division is about as exciting and stacked as any other in the UFC right now. Below Hooker’s teammate Alexander Volkanovski, who’s ruled the weight class since 2019, are a host of elite contenders, including Max Holloway, Yair Rodriguez, Giga Chikadze, and Arnold Allen. There are very few matchups for Hooker that won’t get fans’ imaginations running wild.

    But for Hooker, there’s one man head and shoulders above the rest. In a fight just as mouth-watering as any that could be put together in the promotion, the New Zealander wants to throw down with “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung.

    Despite having a preference, Hooker isn’t fussy. He’s willing to challenge anyone the fans want to see him up against, and recently expressed a willingness to enter the Octagon with fellow brawler Calvin Katter. Replying to a tweet from Chael Sonnen that suggested a clash with “The Boston Finisher” could mark his arrival back at featherweight, Hooker simply said, “Count me in.”

    Who would you like to see Dan Hooker enter the Octagon with at featherweight?