Top lightweight contender Dan Hooker is officially calling out of Nate Diaz and Tony Ferguson, particularly for UFC 266 in September.
UFC 266 is set to take place on September 25 and will see a main event between UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz and No. 1 contender Glover Teixeira. Also being targeted for this event is UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and Brian Ortega. Hooker, a longtime teammate of Volkanovski at City Kickboxing, has long been calling wanting a fight with the Diaz bro. He is now also turning his attention to another brawler and fellow lightweight contender, Tony Ferguson
Speaking to Farah Hannoun of MMAjunkie.com, Hooker explained why Diaz and Ferguson are at the top of his list for potential fights.
“Definitely, that fight (against Diaz) has my interest. I had just seen the video of him saying he wants to get back in there in three or four months, and if you want to fight put your hand up, and that’s something I’m quite well known for – is putting my hands up for fights and taking opportunities and not staying silent in moments like that. I’m not afraid to ask for things that I want. I just see a good fight. I just feel I’ll bring the kind of fight that would do a Diaz brother justice, and it works in the timeline,” Hooker explained about Diaz, before turning his attention to Ferguson.
“That’s just a fight that gets me excited, and that’s what the fans want to see,” Hooker said of Ferguson. “They want to see you in fights that you’re excited to be in. That Tony Ferguson-Dan Hooker fight, I feel like that’s a bloodbath. I feel like that’s an absolute war, and that’s a fight that definitely gets me up and gets me excited – so it’s on my list.”
Either matchup for Hooker would be set for fireworks and a likely fight of the night contender and would be a great addition to a stacked card for September.
Do you think we see either of these matchups go down in September? How do you see them playing out?