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Dan Hooker Explains Favoring Gaethje Fight Over Poirier Rematch

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 […]

Continue Reading Dan Hooker Explains Favoring Gaethje Fight Over Poirier Rematch at MMA News.

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…

Read More: Chael Sonnen Says Dustin Poirier & Others Flirt With Retirement To Receive Praise

Continue Reading Dan Hooker Explains Favoring Gaethje Fight Over Poirier Rematch at MMA News.

UFC Rankings Report: Max Holloway Gets Big LW Boost After Dana White’s Complaints

As always, the latest action on offer inside the UFC Octagon has been followed by the release of the updated rankings. 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 […]

Continue Reading UFC Rankings Report: Max Holloway Gets Big LW Boost After Dana White’s Complaints at MMA News.

As always, the latest action on offer inside the UFC Octagon has been followed by the release of the updated rankings.

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.

Welterweight: No changes.

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 Ji?í 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).

Heavyweight: No changes.

You can view the full updated UFC rankings here.

Continue Reading UFC Rankings Report: Max Holloway Gets Big LW Boost After Dana White’s Complaints at MMA News.

UFC Rankings Report: Max Holloway Gets Big LW Boost After Dana White’s Complaints

Continue Reading UFC Rankings Report: Max Holloway Gets Big LW Boost After Dana White’s Complaints at MMA News.

As always, the latest action on offer inside the UFC Octagon has been followed by the release of the updated rankings.

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.

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.

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.

Featherweight: No changes.

Welterweight: No changes.

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.

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).

Heavyweight: No changes.

You can view the full updated UFC rankings here.

Continue Reading UFC Rankings Report: Max Holloway Gets Big LW Boost After Dana White’s Complaints at MMA News.

Feud Squashed! Conor McGregor Embraces Chael Sonnen’s High Praise as UFC Legend Teases Comeback

Conor McGregor and Chael Sonnen have seemingly squashed their beef. ‘Mystic Mac’ has not stepped foot inside the Octagon…

Conor McGregor and Chael Sonnen have seemingly squashed their beef.

‘Mystic Mac’ has not stepped foot inside the Octagon in more than three years, but despite the drought, the former two-division champion remains adamant that he’ll be back in the cage before long.

Of course, not everyone is convinced, but whether or not we ever see him dawn the four-ounce gloves again, ‘The American Gangster’ truly believes that McGregor may have been the best the sport has ever seen.

“Conor McGregor, what will his legacy be? Have we forgotten how great he was? 145 and 155 are the most difficult weight classes in the sport,” Sonnen said in a video on social media. “Conor was the champion of both divisions simultaneously. That is insane. Conor McGregor has won so many world championships that he forgot one. He’s a champ, champ, champ. He forgot that he won the interim championship. I was there. I watched his fight with Chad Mendes.”

“He had to beat the greatest 145 pounder to ever live. He ended up doing it in 11 seconds. He parlays that into one of the baddest dudes I have ever met – Eddie Alvarez. He took that, he parlayed it against the greatest boxer that sport has ever seen and went 30 minutes with him… Conor McGregor was truly, perhaps, the best fighter that’s ever done this” (h/t Sportskeeda).

Conor McGregor Responds to Sonnen’s Praise

The praise from Sonnen got back to McGregor and appears to have helped squash the longstanding beef between the two combat sports icons.

McGregor shared Sonnen’s video on Instagram along with a message reiterating that he’s far from done in the world of mixed martial arts.

“I [am] not done,” McGregor wrote. “It’s too handy for me to come back at any time at all and just swipe the game up again entirely. Every walk is a record.”

McGregor previously revealed that a fight between himself and Dan Hooker was in the works for February 1 in Saudi Arabia. Dana White approved of the pairing, but Hooker was quick to squash any possibility of the fight happening in February with his wife due to give birth around the same time.

“I’m good to go in January or March,” Hooker told Helen Yee Sports. “The missus is due [for a baby in] February, so no can go. I’ve got a little girl on the way.

Sounds like everyone is on board. It’s just a matter of hammering out a date that works.

Video: Conor McGregor Reveals Next Fight to Be vs. Dan Hooker in February amid Injury

Conor McGregor revealed on Saturday night that his next fight will occur against Dan Hooker. After an appearance at a Bare Knuckle FC event, McGregor told…

UFC CEO Dana White Open to Dustin Poirier’s Four-Man BMF Tournament

Dana White is down with a four-man BMF tournament. During an appearance on SiriusXM’s MMA Today podcast, three-time lightweight…

Dana White is down with a four-man BMF tournament.

During an appearance on SiriusXM’s MMA Today podcast, three-time lightweight title challenger Dustin Poirier suggested a four-man tourney to determine who the baddest motherf*cker in mixed martial arts truly is.

“Now that excites me. Because that kind of stuff is for the dogs. That’s like old Pride days or Grand Prix,” Poirier said. “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. If they put that together and it was a one-night tournament, that would be it” (h/t BJPenn.com).

Reacting to the idea following Tuesday’s episode of Dana White’s Contender Series, the UFC CEO gave it his stamp of approval.

“Sounds fun. Never thought about it, but yeah, I love it.”

Thus far, there have been three BMF titleholders since the belt was first introduced in 2019. Jorge Masvidal became the inaugural BMF champion via a third-round doctor’s stoppage TKO against Nate Diaz at UFC 266. ‘Gamebred’ never defended the belt and essentially vacated it after walking away from the UFC following a four-fight losing streak last year.

Justin Gaethje claimed the title in July 2023 with a second-round head kick KO against Dustin Poirier, but his time with the title was cut short by Max Holloway, who made a highlight out of ‘The Highlight’ via a buzzer-beating knockout at UFC 300 in April.

Holloway is currently scheduled to challenge Ilia Topuria for the featherweight world title on October 26 at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi.

Nate Diaz tells dana white to get those ‘2 nerds’ out of proposed BMF title Tournament

Getting wind of Poirier’s idea, Nate Diaz approved of the idea, but not all the participants.

“@DanaWhite Dan [Hooker] and Max [Holloway] are eligible for my belt.” Nate Diaz wrote on his Instagram story, responding to Poirier’s recent comments. “But get those other [two] nerds out of there they don’t fit the description.”

Diaz calling the BMF title “my belt” is an interesting choice of words considering he never once held it. And suggesting that Poirier and Gaethje — two of the most beloved strikers in the game — “don’t fit the description” of a BMF is also pretty wild.

If you could pick any four fighters to compete in a one-night BMF title tournament, who would be in your bracket?