Dan Hooker believes Beneil Dariush is the most technical lightweight in the UFC.
Dan Hooker has fought everyone in the UFC lightweight division from Dustin Poirier to Islam Makhachev, but ‘The Hangman’ believes Kings MMA product Beneil Dariush is the best grappler and most technical fighter in the division.
Hooker, who was recently submitted by grappling powerhouse Islam Makhachev at UFC 267, explained to The MAC Life’s Oscar Willis what makes Dariush such a masterful technician.
“Beneil Dariush, in my opinion, is the best grappler and the most technical lightweight in the UFC,” Hooker said during a recent appearance on Pub Talk (h/t Sportskeeda). “He’s a guy that could do with saying a few more things, you know what I mean?”
“I think it’s a tough fight,” he said of the proposed matchup between Darius and Makhachev. “Beneil’s grappling is incredible. It’s a submission game. I feel like Beneil has the striking advantage. If they do cancel each other out then in my opinion, Beneil is head and shoulders [better] on the feet. That’s the two best grapplers in the division, in my opinion.”
Dariush has won multiple world titles in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu but Makhachev has more submission victories (10) to his resume. Both men are expected to collide at an upcoming UFC Fight Night event on Feb. 26 at a TBA location.
As for Hooker, the New Zealander is poised for a return to the featherweight division where he would ‘love to throw down’ with The Korean Zombie, Chan Sung Jung.