Tag: Dan Hooker

Israel Adesanya ‘Was stepping up to fight’ at UFC 300 prior to booking of Pereira – Hill title headliner

Israel Adesanya was set to fight at UFC 300 in headliner before Pereira - Hill bookingUFC lightweight Dan Hooker claims that Israel Adesanya was prepared to step in and fight at UFC 300. Following…

Israel Adesanya was set to fight at UFC 300 in headliner before Pereira - Hill booking

UFC lightweight Dan Hooker claims that Israel Adesanya was prepared to step in and fight at UFC 300.

Following his shock loss to Sean Strickland, it appeared that Adesanya was going to take some time away from the sport in what would be his first real break after an active combat career across both MMA and kickboxing. 

However, after posting some training clips and rumbling began of a return it seemed Israel Adesanya had a change of heart. In fact, teammate and pal, Hooker, claims that the former UFC middleweight champion was preparing to comeback for UFC 300 to face bitter rival, Du Plessis.

Israel Adesanya was set to fight at UFC 300, according to Dan Hooker

“It’s a good fight they scratched together,” Hooker told Sky Sports New Zealand. “I want to know, I want Dana to come out and say that what had all gone on behind the scenes. Because as far as I knew, Israel was stepping up to fight in that 300 slot.

“He’s (Adesanya) continued to stay in the gym and stay healthy and stay training very hard, so I would anticipate him getting another fight booked pretty soon.” 

The UFC were desperate to put together a solid UFC 300 main event and the promotion appeared to like the idea of Dricus du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya. However, the champion said he would be unable to make the date after a hard-fought five-rounds with Du Plessis in January. Hooker believes that Du Plessis was unwilling to risk his position but couldn’t really blame him for doing so.

“I feel like Dricus, that was going to be a big ask after the five rounds he had with Strickland, he took a lot of damage in that Strickland fight,” Hooker said. “And yeah, he turned the title fight down before. He was supposed to fight Israel in Sydney when [Izzy] fought Strickland. But he had, like, a niggle, he had an injury, and he wasn’t prepared to take that risk.”

“I was not surprised at all that he wasn’t prepared to rush back and take that risk for UFC 300. Can I criticize him for it? I can’t really, cuz it worked out in his favour the last time. He’s now the one walking around with the title. So can I criticize? ‘You should want to fight at UFC 300 with half a training camp!’ I can’t, I can’t criticize him.”

Who wins, Israel Adesanya or Dricus Du Plessis?

UFC Contender believes Islam Makhachev would rather retire than rematch arman tsarukyan: ‘There’s too much risk’

Islam Makhachev and Arman TsarukyanDan Hooker believes Islam Makhachev would rather follow in the footsteps of his mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and retire from…

Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan

Dan Hooker believes Islam Makhachev would rather follow in the footsteps of his mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and retire from the sport of MMA before being matched up with rising contender Arman Tsarukyan.

Since capturing the 155-pound crown at UFC 280, the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ has defended his title twice, both times against current featherweight king, Alexander Volkanovski. With ‘The Great’ now firmly in his rearview, Makhachev is gearing up for his next big challenge. As it stands, there are a handful of viable contenders vying for the opportunity, including Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, and Dustin Poirier.

However, if you peel back the curtain a bit more, you’ll find another emerging contender that could very well hold the key to ending Makhachev’s title reign. Riding a three-fight win streak, Arman Tsarukyan revealed himself as one of the division’s top talents with a brutal 64-second knockout of Beneil Dariush in December.

Tsarukyan has come a long way since coming up short in his promotional debut in 2019 which, ironically, came against none other than Islam Makhachev. Their history would certainly add a level of intrigue to a potential lightweight title tilt, but Hooker doesn’t see the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ hanging around long enough to run it back with the Armenian.

“Yeah, they had a pretty close fight in the first one,” said Hooker during an appearance on The MMA Hour. “Yeah, he could beat him. He’s not going to fight him. I guarantee he’ll retire by the time Arman gets there, for sure. It’s too risky, there’s too much risk. There’s too many other easier fights out there that he’d rather fight. There’s easier fights out there, stylistically.”

Will Fans pay to see Makhachev vs. Tsarukyan 2?

Dan Hooker also questioned whether or not fight fans would be willing to pay a premium price to watch an event headlined by a Makhachev vs. Tsarukyan rematch.

“There are bigger names,” Hooker continued. “No one’s going to buy an Arman Tsarukyan pay-per-view. No one’s tuning in to the press conference. No one’s giving $80 for the pay-per-view. You’d rather watch Islam fight McGregor or Gaethje or something like that.”

With a majority of the lightweight top 10 angling for big-money fights and title opportunities, Hooker may be the one to bite the bullet and accept a fight with Tsarukyan once he’s medically cleared to return.

“I don’t like the guy, I think he’s an idiot,” Hooker added. “I think he’s annoying. Can he fight? A hundred percent. That’s why he’s a very talented young fighter, but he’s just annoying. He’s just a dweeb. I just don’t like him” (h/t Bloody Elbow)

Comeback Of The Year – LowKick MMA 2023 Awards

ComebackWith a year full of fantastic comeback victories, only one could walk away as the favorite among the LowKick…

Comeback

With a year full of fantastic comeback victories, only one could walk away as the favorite among the LowKick MMA crew.

With six different bouts receiving nominations, it was perhaps this year’s closest vote, but in the end, Dan Hooker’s impressive split decision comeback over division standout Jalin Turner at UFC 290 was the victor with three total nominations.

Comeback of the year – dan hooker vs. jalin turner – UFC 290 – (3 Votes)

From the moment the bout was first announced, fight fans pegged Hooker vs. Turner as the Fight of the Night. Needless to say, the contest did not disappoint as the heart of Hooker weathered the incredibly violent storm of Turner to walk away with a split decision.

After a solid first round, ‘The Hangman’ found himself in some serious trouble after eating a nasty head kick from Turner in the second stanza. Biting down on his mouthpiece, Hooker returned fire and forced Turner to retreat and had his opponent dead to rights with a rear-naked choke in the round’s final seconds. The only thing that saved Turner from certain defeat was the bell.

Honorable Mentions:

C.J. Vergara vs. Daniel da Silva – UFC san Antonio – (1 vote)

C.J. Vergara narrowly survived the first round against Daniel da Silva but proved he had plenty of stamina as he pounded out his opponent en route to scoring one of the biggest comebacks of 2023.

In the opening round, Vergara ate a clean wheel kick from da Silva that had him literally running away from his opponent inside the Octagon. Surviving an early onslaught, Vergara bounced back in the second round, landing a series of ground-and-pound strikes that forced the referee to step in and call for the stoppage with less than a minute to go in the round, giving fans an unforgettable comeback.

Edson Barboza vs. Sodiq Yusuff – UFC Vegas 81 – (1 Vote)

Beloved veteran Edson Barboza got off to a rocky start when he stepped into the main event spotlight for a clash with Sodiq Yusuff. ‘Super’ badly wobbled Barboza in the first exchange of the fight and repeatedly stunned him with a series of boxing combinations. A finish appeared to be imminent, but a takedown by Yusuff slowed the fight and gave Barboza the time he needed to recover.

Barboza found his footing in the second round and officially turned the tide in the third, landing one of his signature spinning wheel kicks. Barboza was unable to capitalize on the moment, but he was able to carry that momentum into the final two rounds, walking away with a unanimous decision after surrendering a 10-8 in the first. It was a comeback for the ages from one of the UFC’s most tenured talents.

Mike Breeden vs. Anshul Jubli – UFC 294 – (1 vote)

Anshul Jubli came out guns blazing and put on a spirited fight in his promotional debut at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi. After taking the first two rounds with an onslaught of offense, Anshul was seemingly headed for a win. However, Breeden came out for the final round with a vengeance.

Barking like a dog, Breeden amped up the aggression and landed a series of heavy-handed shots that had his opponent backpedaling in an attempt to survive. With two minutes to go in the round, Breeden cracked Jubli with a stiff right hand that sent his opponent crashing to the canvas. Clearly compromised, the referee called for the stoppage, giving fans one of the most exciting come-from-behind victories of the year.

Elves Brener vs. Guram Kutateladze – UFC Vegas 76 – (1 vote)

Elves Brener entered the matchup with Guram Kutateladze as a sizeable underdog, but the Brazilian ended up scoring the most significant victory of his career after a wild back-and-forth scrap.

Brener came out looking to play spoiler with a couple of solid takedowns in the opening round, but it was the chopping leg kicks of Kutateladze followed by a huge flurry of strikes to close out the first. The second frame began with the Georgian opening up a huge cut on the forehead of Brener. Undeterred by the sight of his own blood, Brener continued to walk down Kutateladze with a variety of combinations.

Brener connected with a big left hook that had his opponent curled up against the fence in the third round before some follow-up punches ended the contest.

Rodolfo Bellato vs. ihor Potieria – UFC Austin (1 vote)

After a fast-paced opening round between the two light heavyweight standouts, Potieria landed some major damage in the early stages of the second round, dropping Bellato and putting the fight on the cusp of being stopped. However, Bellato refused to quit and managed to get back to his feet.

Potieria was understandably exhausted after failing to secure the finish which allowed Bellato to pour on the punishment in the second. Bellato landed a takedown, moved to mount, and unloaded a series of strikes until referee Jacob Montalvo stepped in and stopped the bout at the 4:17 mark of Round 2, paving the way for another epic comeback in 2023.

Which comeback of 2023 was your favorite?

Full List Of The LowKick MMA 2023 Comeback Of The Year Votes:

  • Ross Markey: Dan Hooker
  • Ian Shutts: Dan Hooker
  • Murdo Todd: Elves Brenner
  • Craig Pekios: Edson Barboza
  • Makoa Goble: Rodolfo Bellato
  • Tony King: Dan Hooker
  • Red Pill MMA: Carlston Harris
  • Michael Owens: C.J. Vergara
  • Danny Podolsky: Mike Breedan

video – UFC standout Dan Hooker puts radio show producer to sleep with a triangle choke

Dan HookerDan Hooker returned to action a lot earlier this expected. After breaking his arm while preparing for a scrap…

Dan Hooker

Dan Hooker returned to action a lot earlier this expected.

After breaking his arm while preparing for a scrap with Bobby Green last month, the tenured UFC fan favorite has kept busy by making the rounds on various podcasts and radio shows. In one particular instance, ‘The Hangman’ decided to flex his submission skills.

During an appearance on The Morning Rumble, the UFC lightweight contender was asked to execute a triangle choke on Mitch Farr, one of the show’s producers.

Things went exactly as you would expect.

In the clip, Hooker forces a tap out of Farr twice before really digging in on the third try. Despite Farr repeatedly tapping out, he was briefly put to sleep.

Clearly disoriented, but brandishing a smile on his face once regaining consciousness, Farr commented on the grappling exchange saying, “I’m good.”

After dropping four out of five fights, Dan Hooker bounced back with back-to-back wins over Claudio Puelles and Jalin Turner. ‘The Hangman’ was hoping to get one more win to close out his 2023, but an unfortunate injury ended his year early. 13-8 under the UFC banner and 23-12 overall, Hooker will now focus on healing up so that he can carry his momentum into the new year.

video – UFC standout Dan Hooker puts radio show producer to sleep with a triangle choke

Dan HookerDan Hooker returned to action a lot earlier this expected. After breaking his arm while preparing for a scrap…

Dan Hooker

Dan Hooker returned to action a lot earlier this expected.

After breaking his arm while preparing for a scrap with Bobby Green last month, the tenured UFC fan favorite has kept busy by making the rounds on various podcasts and radio shows. In one particular instance, ‘The Hangman’ decided to flex his submission skills.

During an appearance on The Morning Rumble, the UFC lightweight contender was asked to execute a triangle choke on Mitch Farr, one of the show’s producers.

Things went exactly as you would expect.

In the clip, Hooker forces a tap out of Farr twice before really digging in on the third try. Despite Farr repeatedly tapping out, he was briefly put to sleep.

Clearly disoriented, but brandishing a smile on his face once regaining consciousness, Farr commented on the grappling exchange saying, “I’m good.”

After dropping four out of five fights, Dan Hooker bounced back with back-to-back wins over Claudio Puelles and Jalin Turner. ‘The Hangman’ was hoping to get one more win to close out his 2023, but an unfortunate injury ended his year early. 13-8 under the UFC banner and 23-12 overall, Hooker will now focus on healing up so that he can carry his momentum into the new year.

Official – Bobby Green set to fight Dan Hooker in five round clash at UFC Austin in December

Bobby Green set to fight Dan Hooker in five round clash at UFC Austin in DecemberFresh off his shocking upset knockout win over Grant Dawson at the beginning of October, veteran lightweight favorite, Bobby…

Bobby Green set to fight Dan Hooker in five round clash at UFC Austin in December

Fresh off his shocking upset knockout win over Grant Dawson at the beginning of October, veteran lightweight favorite, Bobby Green has booked another five round clash – this time in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night Austin on December 2. against fellow division staple, New Zealand striker, Dan Hooker. The event is slated to take place from the Moody Center on December 2. from Austin, Texas.

Green, the current number twelve ranked lightweight contender, earned his spot within the promotional top-15 at the beginning of last month, recording his second straight stoppage win with a blistering opening round knockout win over Dawson in his second headlining fight, landing a 33-second KO victory. The win also secured Green a post-fight Performance of the Night Bonus.

Bobby Green takes on Dan Hooker in Texas in December

As for Hooker, the long-time City Kickboxing trainee has been sidelined since landing his second straight win since his lightweight return back in July, going the distance over three rounds with the highly-touted, Jalin Turner en route to a close, split decision win. News of Bobby Green’s return against Dan Hooker was first announced by UFC CEO, Dana White overnight. 

Prior to his win over Dawson at the beginning of last month, San Bernardino native Green had stopped former interim lightweight champion, Tony Ferguson back in July at UFC 291, wrapping up a rare submission win in the form of a third round arm-triangle choke.

Landing the number nine rank at lightweight with his judging win over Turner, Kiwi lightweight contender, Hooker had snapped a disappointing run of two consecutive losses with a dominant finish of the highly-touted Peruvian grappler, Claudio Puelles back in November of last year, with a second round body kick KO win.

Atop that UFC Fight Night Austin card in December, lightweight contenders, Beneil Dariush and Arman Tsarukyan take main event honors over the course of five rounds – as Dariush looks to rebound from a June knockout loss to former champion, Charles Oliveira. As for the highly-touted, Tsarukan, the Armenian has been sidelined since a June knockout win over Joaquim Silva. 

Who wins in December: Bobby Green or Dan Hooker?