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Dan Hooker Ponders Future Fight With Alexander Volkanovski: ‘That’s Not The Worst Situation’

UFC lightweight contender, Dan Hooker has suggested a potential future matchup against City Kickboxing teammate, reigning featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski would not be the worst situation to find himself in — with speculation brewing regarding a potential division return for the Auckland native. Hooker, who has suffered three defeats in his last four lightweight outings, […]

Hooker, who has suffered three defeats in his last four lightweight outings, currently sits at #8 in the official lightweight pile — most recently suffering a one-sided, kimura submission loss to the #4 rated, Islam Makhachev at UFC 267 on short notice back in October on ‘Fight Island’.

Prior to that loss, Hooker briefly snapped a two-fight slide against both Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler with an impressive unanimous decision success opposite Nasrat Haqparast in September at UFC 266.

In the time since his loss to American Kickboxing Academy standout, Makhachev, Hooker fueled speculation of a featherweight division return — hitting the 146lbs limit at featherweight during a test-cut with the help of a dietician from the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas.

The City Kickboxing mainstay then claimed that should he make a return to the featherweight limit, where he competed six times during his promotional stint, he would like to first match with the #4 ranked challenger, one-time title challenger, Chan Sung Jung first.

Dan Hooker suggests a future fight with teammate Alexander Volkanovski is not the “worst situation”

Speaking on It’s Time For Sports podcast recently, Hooker claimed that a potential future matchup with teammate, Volkanovski was not the worst situation to find themselves in — likening the potential pairing to another potential lightweight bout with training partner, Brad Riddell.

“It’s the same as the position like Brad Riddell in my division at lightweight,” Dan Hooker said. “There is never a bad position to be in. It’s like your training partners or your group of friends are 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 I want [Alexander] Volkanovski to win as well and I see him being super successful.“

Hooker also claimed that the landscape of the featherweight division may look considerably different in the not-too-distant future, hinting at a lightweight move for Volkanovski.

“Well, the landscape of something can change so quickly in this sport,” Dan Hooker explained. “Over the next year, you could see Volkanvoski doing some incredible things. You could see Volkanovski moving up to lightweight and being a double champ. You could see him fighting Conor McGregor and walking away with 20 million dollars or something incredible. That’s what I see for Volkanovski. I want Volkanovski to win and I want Brad [Riddell] to win as well. I want my teammates to be successful as well. It is 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.” (Transcribed by Sportskeeda)

Dan Hooker: Featherweight Is The Weight Class I Can Thrive In

UFC lightweight contender Dan Hooker thinks his future lies in the featherweight division, a weight class he believes he can “thrive” in.

After initially going 7-1 after making the switch up to 155 pounds, Hooker has lost three of his last four out…

UFC lightweight contender Dan Hooker thinks his future lies in the featherweight division, a weight class he believes he can “thrive” in.

After initially going 7-1 after making the switch up to 155 pounds, Hooker has lost three of his last four outings. Following a five-round Fight of the Night victory over Paul Felder last February, “The Hangman” fell to consecutive losses to #1-ranked contender Dustin Poirier and former Bellator Lightweight Champion Michael Chandler.

Having rebounded with a decision win against the unranked Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 266, Hooker fell to another setback in a short-notice clash with surging Dagestani Islam Makhachev last month. Despite his three recent defeats coming to top-five lightweights, the New Zealander is looking to make a change.

In a video posted to Twitter earlier this week, Hooker can be seen weighing in at 146 pounds, the weight limit for non-title featherweight bouts.

45 look alive. pic.twitter.com/JU0pl0tKkV
— Dan Hangman Hooker (@danthehangman) November 23, 2021

Now, during an appearance on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, Hooker has confirmed his desire to return to the weight he entered the UFC at. Discussing the featherweight tease he posted on social media, the fan-favorite brawler said the test was made in order to prove he can perform the cut with relative ease.

“That (weight-cut test) wasn’t for me. I know I can make the weight. That was to try to convince a few people that need convincing. My coaches were not that keen on me going back to ’45, but that’s me stepping on the scale and, to be honest, making it look pretty easy. From when I was there in the past to where I am now, the science and the people that are a part of the UFC (are a lot better).”

When asked whether he expects his next appearance to be at 145 pounds, Hooker confirmed it’s likely. According to “The Hangman,” featherweight is the division he can find the most success in.

“That’s a strong possibility (next fight will be at featherweight)… I’m excited for the future. I feel like featherweight is the weight class that I can really thrive at.”

Hooker Targets FW Switch To “Capitalize” On Advantages

Addressing why he feels now is the right time to make the move back down to the weight where he went 3-3 in his opening six Octagon outings, Hooker admitted he hasn’t been able to make the most of the advantages he possesses while fighting at lightweight. He believes that will be a different story at featherweight.

“It’s just an advantage that I haven’t been capitalizing on, if I’m being honest. There’s like, there’s a number of things, a number of advantages that I haven’t been capitalizing on. But that’s just one of them. So it’s kinda, moving forward and learning from the past, you have to make a judgement for the future… It’s (featherweight) a weight class where I can really capitalize on all of my advantages.”

Given the current landscape of the featherweight division, there are a number of mouth-watering matchups we could see Dan Hooker involved in should he commit to the weight switch. With hard-swingers like “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung, Shane Burgos, Giga Chikadze, Dan Ige, and Calvin Kattar all sitting in the top 15, “The Hangman” could have some more FOTN bonuses coming his way at 145 pounds.

Who would you like to see Dan Hooker face at featherweight?

Continue Reading Dan Hooker: Featherweight Is The Weight Class I Can Thrive In at MMA News.

Dan Hooker Eyes Clash With Chan Sung Jung, Confirms Featherweight Return Is ‘Possible’

UFC lightweight contender, Dan Hooker has teased a featherweight division outing for the first time since November 2016 recently, following a rough patch at his lightweight home where he currently resides at #8 in the official rankings. And if he makes a featherweight return — has sights fixed on a showdown against the #4 ranked […]

Hooker, who most recently featured at UFC 267 back in October on ‘Fight Island’, suffered his third loss in his most recent four Octagon appearances — dropping a first round kimura submission defeat against the surging, Islam Makhachev.

Prior to that, Hooker, who made a short-notice appearance against the Dagestan native — knocked back Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 266 in September with an impressive unanimous decision victory. However, it has not been the plainest sailing run for the Auckland native since the beginning of the pandemic — dropping a pair of high-profile losses to both former interim lightweight titleholder, Dustin Poirier, and a January knockout loss to one-time title chaser, Michael Chandler.

Teasing a move back to the 145lbs limit recently, the City Kickboxing staple utilized a dietician from the UFC Performance Institute whilst he stays in Las Vegas, Hooker successfully made a test weight-cut back to the featherweight limit of 146lbs.

Dan Hooker welcomes featherweight return against Chan Sung Jung

The 31-year-old striker has not competed at the featherweight limit since a unanimous decision loss to promotional alum, Jason Knight five years ago, but maintains that it’s still a possibility that he makes the return to the division for his next outing.

“That’s a strong possibility,” Dan Hooker told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “The problem was I didn’t really ask, I just talked to Jordi [Sullivan[ and Charles, my dieticians, and that was it really. I just talked to them and just went along and got the job done and did it. I haven’t even talked to the UFC about it, so maybe Sean Shelby’s seen it, maybe he hasn’t. We’ll see.“

When pressed on a potential welcoming party for his return to the division, Hooker claimed that he would be intrigued by a matchup against one-time title challenger, the #4 ranked South Korean favorite, Jung next.

“Head and shoulders, the number one guy that I would love to get in there would be ‘The Korean Zombie’ [Chan Sung Jung],” Dan Hooker said. “I would love to throw down with the zombie.“

“So, I don’t know what the people were saying, that’s why I just put it out there, stepped on the scale, made the weight, and I feel like you just let the people decide,” Dan Hooker explained. “Whoever the people want to see me in there against will kind of convince the UFC. What everyone wants, everyone can get, but for me, it would be head and shoulders, ‘The Korean Zombie’.” (Transcribed by MMA Fighting)

In his most recent Octagon walk, Jung defeated Dan Ige in the main event of UFC Vegas 29 in June — bouncing back to winning-ways following a comprehensive unanimous judging loss of his own against recent title chaser, Brian Ortega in October of last year on ‘Fight Island’.

Hooker Hints At Featherweight Return With Successful Weight Cut Test

UFC lightweight Dan Hooker has hinted at a potential return to the featherweight division with a successful trial weight cut to 146 pounds.

Hooker, who is widely regarded as one of the UFC’s top fan favorites, has gone 1-2 in three Octagon appearan…

UFC lightweight Dan Hooker has hinted at a potential return to the featherweight division with a successful trial weight cut to 146 pounds.

Hooker, who is widely regarded as one of the UFC’s top fan favorites, has gone 1-2 in three Octagon appearances in 2021. After starting the year with his second consecutive loss, which came against promotional newcomer Michael Chandler in Abu Dhabi, “The Hangman” rebounded with a mature performance against the unranked Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 266.

Just days out from that victory, Hooker accepted another fight set for just a month later. After Rafael dos Anjos withdrew from UFC 267, Hooker stepped in to replace him against surging Dagestani Islam Makhachev. In the first round, the New Zealander was submitted by a brutal kimura, marking his second defeat on Fight Island of the year.

GIVE THIS MAN HIS RESPECT!!!@MakhachevMMA with the round 1?? kimura.

[ #UFC267 | Tune in LIVE on @ESPNPlus | @VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/DP6S7EPRYc
— UFC (@ufc) October 30, 2021

Hooker Could Rejuvenate His Career At 145

After initially going 7-1 after moving up to lightweight, a record that included victories over Gilbert Burns, James Vick, Al Iaquinta, and Paul Felder, Hooker has now lost three of his last fours fights. Despite his setbacks coming to three of the best names in the division, including upcoming title challenger and No.1-ranked contender Dustin Poirier, Hooker is seemingly looking to rejuvenate his career in his old stomping grounds.

Hooker began his UFC career at featherweight. In six fights in the weight class, he traded wins and losses, going 3-3. Despite finding more form and success at 155 pounds, “The Hangman” is seemingly pursuing a move back to 145. During a recent interview with The Mac Life’s Oscar Willis, Hooker revealed he’d be working with UFC dieticians and performing a test weight cut.

“I’m doing a little something something at the moment. Gotta make your next move, your best move. Let’s just say I’m working with the UFC and fight dietician very closely, and I’m doing a little test run, and we’ll see.” (h/t MiddleEasy)

It now appears Hooker’s test run has been a success. The New Zealander took to Twitter on Monday to share a video of him weighing himself and successfully making the 146-pound limit.

45 look alive. pic.twitter.com/JU0pl0tKkV
— Dan Hangman Hooker (@danthehangman) November 23, 2021

With the likes of Giga Chikadze and Arnold Allen rising the ranks, there are certainly a load of exciting matchups awaiting Hooker if he does commit to a return to featherweight. Perhaps he’ll even have the chance to exact revenge on Yair Rodriguez, who defeated him via unanimous decision in 2015.

Do you think Dan Hooker should return to featherweight?

Continue Reading Hooker Hints At Featherweight Return With Successful Weight Cut Test at MMA News.

Dan Hooker Successfully Test Cuts Ahead Of Featherweight Move

UFC fan favourite and lightweight contender Dan Hooker, has teased making a potential switch to the featherweight division through his social media. On the ‘Hangman’s’ Twitter he shared a video of him weighing 146 lbs which would qualify him to compete at featherweight. Speaking to The Mac Life Hooker recently revealed that he is testing […]

UFC fan favourite and lightweight contender Dan Hooker, has teased making a potential switch to the featherweight division through his social media.

On the ‘Hangman’s’ Twitter he shared a video of him weighing 146 lbs which would qualify him to compete at featherweight.

45 look alive. pic.twitter.com/JU0pl0tKkV

— Dan Hangman Hooker (@danthehangman) November 23, 2021

Speaking to The Mac Life Hooker recently revealed that he is testing the waters ahead of a move to featherweight.

“I’m doing a little something, something at the moment,” Hooker said. “You’ve got to make your next move your best move. Let’s just say I’m working with the UFC and the fight dietician very closely and I’m doing a test, a little test run. And we’ll see.” (Transcribed by MMA Junkie)

This wouldn’t be Hooker’s first experience at featherweight, during 2014 and 2016 the ‘Hangman’ competed at featherweight, this also happened to be his first six fights in the UFC where he went 3-3.

Hooker has gone 8-4 since he made the switch to lightweight, and is currently on a run of bad form losing three of his last four fights.

However, those three losses have come to the elite of the lightweight division: Dustin Poirer who is the number one contender and is fighting for the title in his next fight.

Michael Chandler who fought for the UFC lightweight title after his win against Hooker, In his most recent bout Islam Makhachev who is now riding a nine fight win streak.

Is Dan Hooker Making A Switch To Featherweight

With Champion Alexander Volkanovski riding a ten fight win streak with three title defences, which include back to back wins over who many consider is one of the greatest featherweights of all time Max Holloway.

As well as his most recent victory over number two ranked featherweight Brian Ortega, you could argue that featherweight has one of the most dominant champions in the UFC.

The division also includes the previously mentioned Max Holloway who is the number one contender at featherweight, has bounced back from his back to back losses to the champion.

With dominant wins over Calvin Kattar where he broke the UFC record for significant strikes landed, his most recent win over Yair Rodriguez.

Is this change of weight class what Dan Hooker needs right now?