Tag: Dan Hooker

Dan Hooker Picks Israel Adesanya To ‘Wipe The Floor’ With Jared Cannonier At UFC 276: ‘It’s A Silly Fight’

Israel AdesanyaUFC lightweight, Dan Hooker has claimed that his City Kickboxing teammate, reigning middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya will “wipe the floor” with the #2 ranked division contender, Jared Cannonier ahead of UFC 276 this weekend during International Fight Week. Hooker, the current #13 ranked lightweight contender, featured on the main card of UFC Fight Night London […]

Israel Adesanya

UFC lightweight, Dan Hooker has claimed that his City Kickboxing teammate, reigning middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya will “wipe the floor” with the #2 ranked division contender, Jared Cannonier ahead of UFC 276 this weekend during International Fight Week.

Hooker, the current #13 ranked lightweight contender, featured on the main card of UFC Fight Night London back in March in a featherweight division return, suffering a first round knockout defeat against Arnold Allen. 

This weekend, Hooker’s City Kickboxing training partner, Adesanya, returns to the Octagon for the second time this year – headlining UFC 276 against the aforenoted, Cannonier, searching for his fifth successful title defense at 185lbs.

Dan Hooker predicts continued success for Israel Adesanya at UFC 276

Ahead of the matchup between the duo, many have predicted another routine victory for Adesanya against Texas-born contender Cannonier – with Hooker insisting the main event clash is a “silly fight” to make.

“I think it’s a silly fight, I think it’s another silly fight,” Dan Hooker told The AllStar during a recent interview. “Yeah, I think it’s a silly fight. I think he’s (Israel Adesanya) gonna wipe the floor with him (Jared Cannonier). I think stylistically –  I’m not being a d*ck, I said before the – everyone was saying, ‘Oh, Paulo Costa is really mean, he’s really duh duh duh, he hits really hard and he’s got big muscles.’ It’s the same sh*t, bro.” 

“He’s just like a muscle-bound striker,” Dan Hooker said of Jared Cannonier. “Let’s be real about the situation like. Does he have takedowns? Not really. Does he have like good submissions – like a scrambling, wrestling game like, no he doesn’t. He’s got to stand. He’s a muscle-bound striker. … Show me a muscle-bound striker that has ever done good against Israel.” 

Sharing UFC 271 back in February, Adesanya defeated two-time opponent and common foe, Robert Whittaker in a main event rematch, after Cannonier earned his title shot with a second round bludgeoning of another common opponent, Derek Brunson.

Watch: Hooker Pummels Israel Adesanya In Training Ground & Pound Drill

Dan Hooker, Israel AdesanyaDan Hooker is helping Israel Adesanya prepare for his next title defense against Jared Cannonier at UFC 276. City Kickboxing standout Dan Hooker has been on a skid in his professional career. Following a three-fight win streak between 2019-2020, he dropped four of his last five bouts with a sole win coming over Nasrat Haqparast […]

Dan Hooker, Israel Adesanya

Dan Hooker is helping Israel Adesanya prepare for his next title defense against Jared Cannonier at UFC 276.

City Kickboxing standout Dan Hooker has been on a skid in his professional career. Following a three-fight win streak between 2019-2020, he dropped four of his last five bouts with a sole win coming over Nasrat Haqparast last September. ‘Hangman’ is still on the good side of the UFC as he’s continued to show up and make the sacrifices necessary when called upon.

Now, Hooker has been helping UFC Middleweight king Israel Adesanya prepare for his next challenge.

Dan Hooker brutalizes Israel Adesanya in training

‘Stylebender’ is slated to take on Jared Cannonier at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, NV on July 2 at UFC 276. The headlining bout is expected to be a marquee entry for the promotion as it takes place during International Fight Week, traditionally known to host the better cards of the year.

In a video uploaded to FreeStylebender, Hooker can be seen training with his teammate working on some ground and pound drills.

Adesanya appears to be struggling with keeping up with the pressure from his fellow Kiwi although it is in training so not the full story is known.

Israel Adesanya vs. Jared Cannonier set for UFC 276

The reigning 185 lbs champion in the UFC has proven his dominance in the division with multiple wins over top-ranked contenders and former title holders such as Marvin Vettori, and Robert Whittaker. Adesanya goes into the bout as the favorite over ‘The Killa Gorilla’ and has expressed plans to replicate a performance similar to the one against Paulo Costa.

Both men utilize a striking heavy approach and are expected to put on a show for the fans. Cannonier expects it to be a “striker’s delight” while many fave backed Izzy to come out unscathed from the contest.

Another great middleweight matchup on the card is that of Sean Strickland vs. Alex Pereira. The Brazilian is the only athlete to hold a knockout win over Adesanya, and if the stars align well enough they could be facing each other soon.

Dan Hooker Reveals How He’s Fixing The Flaw That’s Led To Losing Skid

UFC lightweight Dan Hooker has revealed that he’s turned to some ‘trusted’ people for help in turning around his fortunes inside the Octagon. Entering the summer of 2020, Hooker was ranked inside the lightweight top five, riding a three-fight win streak, coming off a main event victory over Paul Felder, and boasted a 7-1 record…

Continue Reading Dan Hooker Reveals How He’s Fixing The Flaw That’s Led To Losing Skid at MMA News.

UFC lightweight Dan Hooker has revealed that he’s turned to some ‘trusted’ people for help in turning around his fortunes inside the Octagon.

Entering the summer of 2020, Hooker was ranked inside the lightweight top five, riding a three-fight win streak, coming off a main event victory over Paul Felder, and boasted a 7-1 record in the division.

Fast forward to summer 2022, and “The Hangman” finds himself at a crossroads in his career following four defeats in five outings. After setbacks against Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, and Islam Makhachev left him out of contention at 155 pounds, Hooker sought a rebound in his former weight class, featherweight.

But at UFC London earlier this year, the New Zealander’s pursuit of fresh pastures saw him land in stoppageville once again, this time at the hands of Arnold Allen after just two-and-a-half minutes.

Now nearly three months past his failed trip to England’s capital, Hooker has spoken about his future in an interview with The Mac Life. The veteran fighter noted the key issue that him and his team have identified following his poor run of form: he simply can’t say, “No.”

“I definitely identified that as a major problem, my impulsive decision-making. If I get offered something, you don’t have to ask me twice,” acknowledged Hooker. “I’m just like, ‘Yeah, alright.’ With the Allen fight, I knew at the time, I was telling myself, ‘This is a sh*t time,’ I had tested positive for Covid, hadn’t trained properly with my team for six months, was recovering from Covid, and they’re like, ’10 weeks, you wanna fly to the complete opposite side of the world and fight someone?’

“In my head, I was like, ‘Nah, this is a sh*t idea,’ but as I’m saying that to myself, I’m typing like, ‘Yeah, cool, I’ll see you there.’ I definitely identified that I cannot — I thought I could control it… But it’s just, nah, it can’t be,” added Hooker.

That, as well as a previous comment that saw Hooker admit to a level of arrogance in thinking that he could compete at the highest level given the conditions he was under, has left “The Hangman” making changes.

Hooker Hands Over Booking Duties

Having identified the biggest issues in his mindset and approach, Hooker revealed to Oscar Willis the big adjustment that he’s made ahead of his attempt to return to form back at lightweight next time out.

“We’ve put some buffers in place, some people that I trust. Obviously, my coach, Eugene Bareman, and Ash (Belcastro) run a management company and they take care of a lot of the boys… That’s like, someone I trust with my career, Eugene Bareman, so he’s the one handling things now,” revealed Hooker.

City Kickboxing coach Bareman co-owns Attain Peace Sports Management. By handing over admin duties to the team, Hooker will join good company, with the likes of UFC champions Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski also under the care of Bareman.

Do you think handing over booking duties to a management team will help Dan Hooker bounce back?

Continue Reading Dan Hooker Reveals How He’s Fixing The Flaw That’s Led To Losing Skid at MMA News.

Chandler Chooses Between Hooker/Ferguson For Favorite UFC KO

Michael Chandler still likes his knockout of Dan Hooker more than his knockout over Tony Ferguson this past weekend. Chandler met Ferguson on the main card of the UFC 274 pay-per-view (PPV) from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. After a back-and-forth first round, the second round opened up with a hellacious front kick from…

Continue Reading Chandler Chooses Between Hooker/Ferguson For Favorite UFC KO at MMA News.

Michael Chandler still likes his knockout of Dan Hooker more than his knockout over Tony Ferguson this past weekend.

Chandler met Ferguson on the main card of the UFC 274 pay-per-view (PPV) from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. After a back-and-forth first round, the second round opened up with a hellacious front kick from Chandler that rendered Ferguson unconscious.

It was the first time anyone had ever knocked out Tony Ferguson cold. Chandler likely has Knockout Of The Year locked up for 2022, and the finish was so spectacular it will likely be shown in highlight reels for years to come. However, it’s still not Chandler’s favorite knockout in the UFC.

Speaking at the UFC 274 post-fight press conference, Chandler admitted that his UFC debut knockout over Dan Hooker is still his favorite.

“Gosh, they’re both really really great because obviously, one was the debut, and this one was kind of getting back on track after two losses,” Chandler said. “I’d still have to go with the debut knockout of Dan Hooker.

Michael Chandler Punches Dan Hooker
Credit: Jeff Bottari, Zuffa LLC

“I was the underdog there, as I should’ve been, cause I was coming from outside the UFC. That was a special special moment. There was a lot of pressure, left the relative security of a previous organization in Bellator, came over, and that was a lot of pressure going on there.”

Chandler finished Hooker in the first round of their 2021 bout in January. It was Chandler’s first fight under the UFC banner since coming from Bellator. Since, Chandler found himself on a two-fight losing streak; however, both bouts were very competitive.

Now, Chander is back on the winning track with his victory over Ferguson. “Iron” is hoping to string together a few more big wins in hopes of getting another crack at the UFC lightweight title.

Enjoyed reading this article? Share it on social media along with your thoughts on which of Michael Chandler’s KOs you think was more impressive!

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Tsarukyan Not Interested In Hooker: “He’s Not A Good Fighter”

UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan no longer harbors any interest in fighting promotional veteran Dan Hooker. At one point last year, a feud between Tsarukyan and Hooker was blossoming, and it appeared that the pair were on a certain collision course. The Russian-Armenian ignited the rivalry after accepting the New Zealander’s open challenge for UFC…

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UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan no longer harbors any interest in fighting promotional veteran Dan Hooker.

At one point last year, a feud between Tsarukyan and Hooker was blossoming, and it appeared that the pair were on a certain collision course. The Russian-Armenian ignited the rivalry after accepting the New Zealander’s open challenge for UFC 266. In the end, both men secured September fights against other opponents.

While Tsarukyan accused Hooker of accepting an “easy” matchup with Nasrat Haqparast, “The Hangman” suggested that the rising contender was already booked against Christos Giagos before accepting his callout.

Despite facing other opponents, it appeared that the pair’s respective September victories would lead to them crossing paths, especially after Tsarukyan expressed a desire to “kill” the UFC mainstay and called for the bout to be booked later in the year in an interview with MMA News.

But in the eight months since, Hooker has lost consecutive fights, first to top-five lightweight Islam Makhachev. Featherweight contender Arnold Allen then spoiled the New Zealander’s return to 145 pounds at UFC London earlier this year.

With that form in mind, and with a dominant display against Joel Álvarez sending him in the opposite direction up the 155-pound ladder, Tsarukyan has firmly moved on from a potential clash with Hooker.

Tsarukyan: Beating Hooker Would Waste Time

During a recent exclusive interview with MMA News’ own James Lynch, Tsarukyan discussed Hooker’s recent commitment to lightweight, answering whether he’d still be open to settling his score with “The Hangman” inside the Octagon.

Given that Hooker is ranked two places below him and has fallen to defeat in four of his last five outings, the Russian-Armenian sees no need to throw down with the New Zealander, even suggesting that facing and beating him would be a ‘waste of time’.

“No, no (it would not interest me). Now, he’s not a good fighter. Before, yes. He lost his last two or three fights, and he beat someone from the unranked guys, Nasrat,” said Tsarukyan. “He’s not interesting for me, because it wastes time to beat him. If I beat him, they’ll say, ‘Oh, he’s (on a losing skid).’ There’s no point to beat him now.”

Catch our full exclusive interview with #11-ranked UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan below:

While Hooker finds himself at a crossroads after failing to find form back at featherweight, Tsarukyan is ready to continue his surge towards contention this summer.

After brutally dispatching Álvarez with an onslaught of elbows earlier this year, the 25-year-old looks likely to get his first taste of five-round action against #12-ranked Mateusz Gamrot, whom he’ll share the cage with at the UFC Fight Night event on June 25.

With a win, Tsarukyan could secure his place in the divisional top 10, and will certainly stake his claim for a big-name opponent next time out. Should that happen, Hooker will need a fare few wins before bringing a bout with Tsarukyan back on his table.

How do you think a fight between Arman Tsarukyan and Dan Hooker would play out?

Continue Reading Tsarukyan Not Interested In Hooker: “He’s Not A Good Fighter” at MMA News.

Poirier Laments The Possibility Of Diaz Exiting UFC Before They Fight

Dustin Poirier still hopes he and Nate Diaz are able to meet in the cage before the latter fighter potentially moves on from the UFC. Despite UFC President Dana White saying the promotion has moved on from the matchup, Diaz and Poirier have continued going back and forth online. In a recent appearance on The…

Continue Reading Poirier Laments The Possibility Of Diaz Exiting UFC Before They Fight at MMA News.

Dustin Poirier still hopes he and Nate Diaz are able to meet in the cage before the latter fighter potentially moves on from the UFC.

Despite UFC President Dana White saying the promotion has moved on from the matchup, Diaz and Poirier have continued going back and forth online. In a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, host Ariel Helwani asked Poirier what’s kept a fight between him and Diaz from being booked.

While Poirier admitted that he can’t speak for Diaz, “The Diamond” claims he’s always been ready.

“This reality show of an MMA community that we have, everybody’s throwing shit at me anytime I say, ‘What’s up Nate?’. Bro, this fight has been offered to me twice already this year and I’ve accepted both times. It’s not like I’m chasing this guy. Don’t call my phone and ask me to fight the guy. I don’t know, maybe he can’t get a deal done. On my side I’ve accepted twice now this year, 2022.”

Dustin Poirier claims he’s already accepted a fight with Nate Diaz on two occasions this year.

Nate Diaz last competed at UFC 263 in 2021, losing a unanimous decision to Leon Edwards. The former-lightweight title challenger has been in the UFC since 2007 but only has one fight left on his current deal and has been making public efforts to try and get out of the contract.

Diaz recently made headlines with a social media post where he urinated on the UFC’s Performance Institute. That incident was just the latest in a long list of issues Diaz has had with the promotion over the years.

Poirier Eager To Get Back In The Cage

When asked by Helwani about a timeframe for his next fight, Poirier expressed his desire to compete this summer and not wait around too long for his next opponent. While he’s open to other matchups at both lightweight and welterweight, “The Diamond” still feels the fight with Diaz needs to happen before Diaz potentially leaves the promotion.

“That’s a fun fight for me. Like I said – and I guess a lot of people say the same shit with that — it’s like, I’ve been watching the guy fight. I was living at my mom’s house, he was fighting on Spike TV, and stuff like that. I’ve been a fan of him and his brother for a long time. But if he leaves the UFC and I never get to touch that chin, that sucks, man.”

Poirer hasn’t fought since a submission loss to recently stripped lightweight champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 269 last December. That bout was Poirier’s second bid at the lightweight title after losing to former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2019, also by submission.

The former interim-title holder put together a three-fight win streak between those title shots with a decision win over Dan Hooker and two stoppage wins against Conor McGregor.

What do you think about Poirier’s comments on The MMA Hour? Should he be the opponent for the last fight on Diaz’s UFC contract?

Continue Reading Poirier Laments The Possibility Of Diaz Exiting UFC Before They Fight at MMA News.