Dan Hooker and Israel Adesanya sat down to chat about the upcoming main event between Julianna Peña and Amanda Nunes. The upcoming UFC 277 main event between bantamweight champion Julianna Peña and former champion and current featherweight champion Ama…
Dan Hooker and Israel Adesanya sat down to chat about the upcoming main event between Julianna Peña and Amanda Nunes. The upcoming UFC 277 main event between bantamweight champion Julianna Peña and former champion and current featherweight champion Amanda Nunes has everyone talking. A couple of pals who are no strangers to big fights in…
UFC flyweight contender Kai Kara-France has received some firm backing from teammates Israel Adesanya and Dan Hooker ahead of his rematch with Brandon Moreno this weekend. Moreno and Kara-France previously collided at UFC 245 in 2019. While the bout re…
UFC flyweight contender Kai Kara-France has received some firm backing from teammates Israel Adesanya and Dan Hooker ahead of his rematch with Brandon Moreno this weekend. Moreno and Kara-France previously collided at UFC 245 in 2019. While the bout represented the Mexican’s second since he was re-signed by the promotion following a release, it marked…
Arnold Allen believes that he has done enough to earn a top contender. Allen is currently undefeated in the UFC with a perfect record of 9-0, and is coming off a big win over Dan Hooker. Allen is currently on a path towards challenging for the Featherweight title. A top five fighter in the division […]
Arnold Allen believes that he has done enough to earn a top contender.
Allen is currently undefeated in the UFC with a perfect record of 9-0, and is coming off a big win over Dan Hooker. Allen is currently on a path towards challenging for the Featherweight title.
A top five fighter in the division is what’s next for the rising contender. He is currently the sixth ranked fighter in the division. A matchup against Calvin Kattar or Josh Emmett may be in the cards for Allen.
Arnold Allen’s dominance has earned himself a shot at a top contender
“Anyone in that top five,” Allen said backstage at UFC Fight Night 208 in London this past Saturday. “I’m 9-0 in the UFC. I don’t even know my record total, but it’s pretty good I think. I feel like I deserve or if anyone deserves to fight upwards, it’s probably me. I’m 9-0 in the UFC. I just finished Dan Hooker. Give me somebody in that top five – any of them.” (Transcribed by MMAJunkie)
Allen would like to test himself in a five round fight, so the Brit may be looking to headline a Fight Night in the near future. Allen is one of the best strikers in the division, to go along with fantastic grappling.
“The one thing I really want is to try and get a five-rounder,” Allen said. “My aspirations are title fights, and it would be pretty sh*t to go into a title fight never fighting a five-rounder. But if there’s a three-rounder going and that’s all there is for the end of the year, then that is what it is.”
Allen wants to take the next step and is ready to prove he is an elite level fighter. He had even brought up the possibility of an interim title match, with Alexander Volkanovski possibly being sidelined for an extended period.
Dan Hooker has backed Rafael Fiziev to come out on top against Justin Gaethje. This past weekend, rising prospect Rafael Fiziev took on former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in the headlining bout of UFC Vegas 58 in Las Vegas on July 9. In a close-fought battle up till the fifth round, Fiziev would […]
Dan Hooker has backed Rafael Fiziev to come out on top against Justin Gaethje.
This past weekend, rising prospect Rafael Fiziev took on former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in the headlining bout of UFC Vegas 58 in Las Vegas on July 9. In a close-fought battle up till the fifth round, Fiziev would manage to secure a quick knockout victory over dos Anjos in the opening seconds of the final round.
Following his win, “Ataman” expressed his interest in being paired up with former title challenger Justin Gaethje for his next outing.
Dan Hooker backs Rafael Fiziev to win over Justin Gaethje
In an interview with The AllStar, Dan Hooker talked about a potential fight between Justin Gaethje and Rafael Fiziev.
“Gaethje’s got very good footwork, very good coaching,” Hooker said. “That’s a true striking battle, right? Those are two of the best defensive wrestlers in the division. I don’t see either of them implementing a wrestling-style attack—obviously, Gaethje with the boxing and with the strikes, and Fiziev’s kicks.
“It’d be very difficult for Gaethje to get his hands going with those kicks going, I’d say. Gaethje’s footwork is very good so is Fiziev. Fiziev has a very good understanding of footwork. That’s a tough battle. If I had to right now gun to my head, I’d be putting money on Fiziev for that fight.”
Fiziev’s rise in the UFC
The 29-year-old Kyrgyzstan native is a proficient striker with a specialization in Muay Thai. Unlike other mixed martial artists, Fiziev is a coach at Tiger Muay Thai gym in Thailand, one of the most well-known training centers in the world. Numerous UFC athletes including Hooker spend time there as a part of their camp.
Fiziev has also displayed remarkable takedown defense in the promotion, second only to UFC welterweight king Kamaru Usman, before his latest bout.
Gaethje has already challenged for the title twice, once against Khabib Nurmagomedov, and the other against Charles Oliveira. A showdown with the human “Highlight” reel could up Fiziev’s standing in the division and get him closer to a shot at the gold.
Dan Hooker shared a reaction to rumours of him being matched up with Clay Guida next. As one of the more active fighters on the roster, Dan Hooker stayed on fight island last year to continue competing further when the UFC needed him, on a total of three occasions in 2021. Currently reeling off two […]
Dan Hooker shared a reaction to rumours of him being matched up with Clay Guida next.
As one of the more active fighters on the roster, Dan Hooker stayed on fight island last year to continue competing further when the UFC needed him, on a total of three occasions in 2021. Currently reeling off two consecutive losses to Islam Makhachev and Arnold Allen, Hooker has dropped four of his last five with a sole win coming over Nasrat Haqparast.
Dan Hooker reacts to rumoured Clay Guida matchup after being linked with Conor McGregor
Following an unsuccessful switch back down to featherweight, ‘Hangman’ will be looking to return to action at 155 lbs in his next outing. He was initially linked to a possible showdown with Conor McGregor. ‘The Notorious’ has been on the sidelines for over a year in recovery from a broken leg and has not solidified a comeback date yet.
Hooker was then rumoured to face Clay Guida in his next bout although no official confirmation had been announced. In an interview with The All Star MMA, Hooker drew a comparison between the two opponents as he reacted to the gossip.
“A month ago, I was fighting Conor McGregor. You know what I mean. How did I go from Conor McGregor to Clay Guida?”
“I like the fight. I think Clay Guida is like an absolute G. I think it would be an honor to share the cage with him. Absolute no idea what they’re talking about. My manager called me and was like do you have any idea what this Clay Guida thing is. I was like no. I’ll do it, I’m keen, but I’m keen for any fight.” (h/t Sportskeeda)
Jorge Masvidal has been rallying for a shot at McGregor as well as the lightweight king Charles Oliveira. Michael Chandler also called out the Irish superstar and even offered to compete against him at 170 lbs. While no opponent has been confirmed yet, it likely will be once McGregor gets the green light to make his return.
Would you like to see Dan Hooker fight ‘The Notorious’ or Clay Guida next?
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 […]
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.