Dustin Poirier doesn’t like the idea of dismissing Dan Hooker as a threat. This Saturday night (June 27), Poirier will return to the Octagon to clash with Hooker. “The Diamond” hasn’t been in action since Sept. 2019. He was subm…
Dustin Poirier doesn’t like the idea of dismissing Dan Hooker as a threat. This Saturday night (June 27), Poirier will return to the Octagon to clash with Hooker. “The Diamond” hasn’t been in action since Sept. 2019. He was submitted by Khabib Nurmagomedov in a failed bid to become the undisputed UFC lightweight champion. As […]
Lightweight contender Dan Hooker has revealed he wants one of three fights after he takes out former interim champion Dustin Poirier in the UFC on ESPN 12 main event this Saturday (June 27). Hooker told Submission Radio that he expects to be in line for the winner of Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje when he […]
Lightweight contender Dan Hooker has revealed he wants one of three fights after he takes out former interim champion Dustin Poirier in the UFC on ESPN 12 main event this Saturday (June 27).
Hooker told Submission Radio that he expects to be in line for the winner of Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje when he beats Poirier. However, he is also willing to take fights against Tony Ferguson and Conor McGregor, he said.
“Well, let’s just talk about the facts. [If] I beat Dustin Poirier there’s only three fights in my future. That’s either fight for the title, fight Tony Ferguson or fight Conor McGregor. I feel like I have the best claim to the title with a win, especially a stoppage win, I feel like I have the best claim to the title. So, I feel like I’m in a position to get called out and get called out by either Tony Ferguson or Conor McGregor.”
“They can come to me, they can come to me. I’m gonna play it cool for once, I reckon.”
“I didn’t say I would wait. That’s just not in my nature. Patience is not one of my virtues. I didn’t say I would wait.”
“If he’s [Tony Ferguson] fit, if he’s healthy and if he wants it, if he calls for it. Beating Dustin puts me next in line, and I feel like if Tony wants to fight me, then he can ask the UFC or he can call me out for once. I’ve been calling these guys out for years, I’ve been spending my entire career calling guys out, and I feel like with this fight, it puts me in a position where I’m not a guy that’s running around chasing all of these people, I feel like they can come to me. So, if he wants it, he can definitely ask the UFC and I’ll be happy to get the fight. But that’s not a fight that I feel like I need to call for.”
Do you think Dan Hooker should be next in line for a lightweight title shot if he beats Dustin Poirier?
While many sympathized with Max Rohskopf for wanting out of his fight with Austin Hubbard, Dan Hooker decided to mock him. Rohskopf stepped in on five days’ notice to take on Hubbard at UFC Vegas 3 last night. However, the formerly unbeaten lightweight was outclassed by Hubbard and following the second round, asked his coach […]
While many sympathized with Max Rohskopf for wanting out of his fight with Austin Hubbard, Dan Hooker decided to mock him.
Rohskopf stepped in on five days’ notice to take on Hubbard at UFC Vegas 3 last night. However, the formerly unbeaten lightweight was outclassed by Hubbard and following the second round, asked his coach Robert Drysdale to call an end to the fight.
Despite repeated requests, Drysdale refused to listen to Rohskopf and was even prepared to let him continue fighting in the third round. However, Rohskopf didn’t get off his stool as the fight was eventually called off with Hubbard getting the TKO victory.
Hooker Not Impressed By Rohskopf
While he defended his actions, Drysdale has since received plenty of criticism as the debate of when a corner should stop a fight was reignited.
“How do you get into the UFC without realising you’re made of marshmallows? ”
Hooker’s comments naturally didn’t go down well, especially going by just the fan responses alone. And with his fight against Dustin Poirier coming up next week, it looks like many will be hoping “The Diamond” gets the job done.
Dan Hooker believes he can stop Dustin Poirier but Justin Gaethje isn’t convinced. Hooker has made some noise since ditching the featherweight division in favor of 155 pounds. The City Kickboxing bruiser has gone 7-1 since returning to the lightw…
Dan Hooker believes he can stop Dustin Poirier but Justin Gaethje isn’t convinced. Hooker has made some noise since ditching the featherweight division in favor of 155 pounds. The City Kickboxing bruiser has gone 7-1 since returning to the lightweight division. He’s riding a three-fight winning streak and is coming off a split decision win […]
Dan Hooker doesn’t believe Dustin Poirier will solely stand up with him. The pair of lightweights are set to headline UFC Vegas 4 which takes place June 27 at the Apex facility. For “The Diamond”, it’s a chance to bounce back from his submission defeat to Khabib Nurmagomedov in their title fight last September. For […]
Dan Hooker doesn’t believe Dustin Poirier will solely stand up with him.
The pair of lightweights are set to headline UFC Vegas 4 which takes place June 27 at the Apex facility. For “The Diamond”, it’s a chance to bounce back from his submission defeat to Khabib Nurmagomedov in their title fight last September.
For Hooker, it is a chance to truly cement himself as a potential contender for the lightweight title, having won seven of his last eight outings. And while the New Zealander rates Poirier’s boxing, he believes the former interim champion will mix things up when they fight.
The reason? He doesn’t have the durability that Hooker’s last opponent Paul Felder — who fought him in a back-and-forth 25 minute war — does to keep the fight a striking battle.
“That’s the thing — he’s definitely going to have to adjust his game a little bit,” Hooker told MMA Fighting. “I feel like pressuring me, taking a shot, giving it, taking a shot, giving a shot is just not the way to best approach it. I don’t feel like Dustin can take a shot as well as Paul Felder can. From watching the tape of both of those fighters, I don’t think Poirier has the chin Felder does.
“I feel I can put Dustin away. If I keep touching him, there’s no way that Dustin’s going to be able to eat those shots and be able to recover from the damage I’m generally able to inflict on opponents.”
Hooker: Poirier Fight Is Win-Win
Regardless of the result, Hooker feels he’s in a win-win position when he faces Poirier.
If he defeats Poirier, it would be arguably the biggest win of his career and spearhead him into title contention. If he loses, he would still get a huge paycheck and not drop too low in the rankings, if at all.
“I would have to be stupid to not take this fight,” Hooker said. “The way I look at it, it’s a win-win situation. I’m No. 5, I’m fighting the No. 3 [ranked lightweight]. I plan on going out there, putting on one heck of a show and putting Dustin away and earning myself a title shot. That’s what my mind is set on.
“But worst-case scenario, I get my ass whooped, I don’t move that far down in the rankings and I get to make a bunch of money for my family. So the way I’m looking at it is already a win-win situation. There’s not a heck of a lot of pressure on me if I’m being honest.”
Regardless, “Hangman” is naturally looking to get the victory. And he feels a decisive one could lead to a title shot.
“I definitely have the best resume for a title shot,” Hooker added. “Winning against Dustin Poirier, especially in a good fight. A good back and forth entertaining matchup or via knockout, I solidify myself with the next best resume.”
Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker will face off in Las Vegas on June 27, Dana White has announced. The UFC President told ESPN the fight had been re-scheduled for late June after previously being cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The fight was originally supposed to take place on May 16 in San Diego before […]
Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker will face off in Las Vegas on June 27, Dana White has announced. The UFC President told ESPN the fight had been re-scheduled for late June after previously being cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The fight was originally supposed to take place on May 16 in San Diego before the card was cancelled. Poirier now returns to the octagon for the first time since losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov in an undisputed title fight last September. Meanwhile, Dan Hooker fights off the back of a decision win over Paul Felder in February.
Dustin Poirier will be looking to get back into title contention after his undisputed title fight loss last year while Hooker aims to build on his three-fight winning streak in what the UFC fans are already calling a potential fight of the year candidate.
The UFC boss also confirmed that Welterweights Mickey Gall and Mike Perry will face each other in the co-main event of the card. Also confirmed to be fighting in the main event is Ian Heinisch and Brendan Allen in a middleweight match up, heavyweights Gian Villante and Maurice Greene will fight whilst Aspen Ladd and Sara McMann complete the main card.