Tag: UFC 267

Hooker Won’t Bring Short-Notice “Excuses” To UFC 267 Makhachev Fight

UFC lightweight Dan Hooker says he won’t be preparing any excuses heading into his clash with Islam Makhachev at UFC 267, despite taking the bout on short notice. Hooker was in action last month at UFC 266. After a difficult period leading up to the event, which saw the New Zealander clash with police over […]

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UFC lightweight Dan Hooker says he won’t be preparing any excuses heading into his clash with Islam Makhachev at UFC 267, despite taking the bout on short notice.

Hooker was in action last month at UFC 266. After a difficult period leading up to the event, which saw the New Zealander clash with police over his inability to train at his own empty gym due to COVID-19 restrictions, and struggle to obtain a US visa until just days before the pay-per-view, “The Hangman” made it to Vegas and faced Nasrat Haqparast inside the T-Mobile Arena.

With a mature and intelligent performance, Hooker returned to the win column with a unanimous decision over his German opponent. Having recorded back-to-back defeats to Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler prior to his September clash, Hooker’s victory was crucial in keeping him towards the top of the 155-pound division.

Miraculously, the 31-year-old signed on for another fight just days after his clash with Haqparast. After Rafael dos Anjos pulled out of UFC 267 through injury, Hooker stepped up and will now meet the surging Dagestani Makhachev on October 30.

Despite the adversity he faced ahead of UFC 266, and the short-notice nature of his upcoming bout with the Russian, Hooker says he’ll never make excuses, regardless of the result.

Speaking on a recent episode of Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, “The Hangman” said the result of his third fight of the year will be determined by who the better man is on the night, not from “preloaded excuses.”

“Nah, you’re either the best or you’re not the best. There’s no excuses. I’m not going into this fight with any preloaded excuses. Regardless of the result of this fight, you’ll never hear an excuse come out of my mouth. I didn’t take the fight for the sake of taking the fight. I take the fight because I believe I’m gonna win. That’s why I’m taking the fight. So it’s not a case of, ‘Aw, man, you’re doing this, jumpin’ in—I’m not going with a preloaded excuse. Either I beat him or I don’t beat him. He’s either the better man or he’s not the better man. Regardless of the preparation, it comes down to that night.”

Hooker also reiterated that he accepted the fight because he believes he can win. If he does so, the New Zealander would find himself back in the lightweight top-five and back in contention for a championship opportunity.

“I’m not going there to punch a ticket. I’m not going there to fight for the sake of fighting. I’m taking this fight because I’m coming to win. I’m going to win the fight. All of this, in my opinion, is for nothing if I don’t come out with my hand raised.”

UFC 267, which will be a non-pay-per-view numbered event, has been hit by a few notable withdrawals. Along with dos Anjos’ injury, UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling has also been forced to pull out of his scheduled fight. “Funk Master” had been set to defend his title for the first time in a rematch against Petr Yan. However, due to lingering neck issues, the champ won’t be able to put his belt on the line this month.

According to many, the card has become stronger with the late changes. Along with Hooker stepping in to face Makhachev, Cory Sandhagen will now be standing opposite Yan on October 30. With the interim title on the line, “The Sandman” will look to spoil the Russian’s plans of securing a rematch with Sterling when they meet in Abu Dhabi.

Who do you think will have their hand raised at UFC 267, Dan Hooker or Islam Makhachev?

Continue Reading Hooker Won’t Bring Short-Notice “Excuses” To UFC 267 Makhachev Fight at MMA News.

Ji?í Procházka Shrugs Off Possible Thiago Santos Fight

Despite Thiago Santos’ latest offering, Ji?í Procházka is busy serving as the backup fighter in the main event at UFC 267: B?achowicz vs. Teixeira. Both combatants in the UFC 267 main event have a history with “Marreta”. Over last weekend, fans witnessed Santos dig his heels in the ground and defend his position as the […]

Continue Reading Ji?í Procházka Shrugs Off Possible Thiago Santos Fight at MMA News.

Despite Thiago Santos’ latest offering, Ji?í Procházka is busy serving as the backup fighter in the main event at UFC 267: B?achowicz vs. Teixeira.

Both combatants in the UFC 267 main event have a history with “Marreta”. Over last weekend, fans witnessed Santos dig his heels in the ground and defend his position as the #5-ranked light heavyweight.

After taking Johnny Walker to task in a unanimous decision victory, the 37-year-old appears to be back on track after snapping a three-fight losing streak. Previously, Santos was paired with Jan Blachowicz and finished the Poland native en route to his title bid with the former divisional kingpin Jon Jones. After losing and sustaining damage to his knees, Santos returned to face Glover Teixeira. Initially, Santos found success while striking but folded in round three under the pressure of Teixeira’s pace.

While Santos thought Ji?í Procházka would be an ideal opponent next, “Denisa” explained that he is already the backup fighter for the 205-pound title fight this October.

“@TMarretaMMA Thank you for the offer, but right now i’m preparing for Blachowicz or Teixeira, which you know them very well.” Procházka posted.

Procházka, meanwhile, exploded in the UFC following his debut knockout against former title challenger Volkan Oezdemir. With a flair for style and wildly aggressive technique, the 29-year-old demolished another former title contender when he was paired with Dominick Reyes. It took only two rounds for Procházka to flatline Reyes with a spinning back elbow.

With a 12-fight winning streak above his head, surely Santos is eager to steal the hype of a fellow striker who is currently the talk of the town. After Procházka fulfills his duties as a potential replacement for the Teixeira/Blachowicz title bout, Santos might become the odd-man-out if the UFC decides to pivot in the direction of Prochazka fighting for gold next.

Do you think Thiago Santos can knock out Ji?í Procházka?

Continue Reading Ji?í Procházka Shrugs Off Possible Thiago Santos Fight at MMA News.

Dan Hooker: Islam Makhachev Is Closest Thing To Fighting Khabib Nurmagomedov

Dan HookerDan Hooker is getting the next best thing in Islam Makhachev. Hooker made headlines recently when he decided to step in for Rafael dos Anjos and fight Islam Makhachev at UFC 267 later this month — all despite only competing last weekend. There were many reasons why the fight appealed to Hooker and being able […]

Dan Hooker

Dan Hooker is getting the next best thing in Islam Makhachev.

Hooker made headlines recently when he decided to step in for Rafael dos Anjos and fight Islam Makhachev at UFC 267 later this month — all despite only competing last weekend.

There were many reasons why the fight appealed to Hooker and being able test himself against the closest thing to former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was one of them.

“If I could fight any lightweight on the face of the planet, it would be Khabib,” Hooker told MMA Fighting. “I want to see how I measure up with him. It’s no lie that Islam’s the next best thing.

“Beating Islam is the only opportunity you’re going to get to show what would have happened if you got in there with Khabib when he was champion. There’s a lot of exciting aspects about this fight. It’s just another one. I feel like it’s a perfect time for this fight to come together.”

There’s also the fact that Hooker is expecting a title shot with a potential win over Makhachev.

“Everyone’s putting him on a pedestal,” Hooker added. “Every guy is showing a lot of respect for his abilities and making a lot of comparisons with Khabib. It will be a great opportunity.

“I feel like this is a massive fight. A win here puts you in title contention. That’s another thing that’s obviously exciting.”

But despite all the praise Hooker is receiving for stepping in and being a fighter’s fighter, he is not simply doing it just to get credit — he very much plans on winning.

“You’re the man if you win,” Hooker said. “I don’t fight for the sake of fighting. I fight to win. That’s my main concentration right now. I don’t want to live off the credit of taking fights. I want to life off the credit of beating the best guys in the world.”

UFC 267 takes place October 30 in Abu Dhabi and is headlined by a light heavyweight title fight between Jan Blachowicz and Glover Teixeira.

Dan Hooker: Islam Makhachev Has ‘Definite Skilled,’ But ‘They All Bleed’

Dan Hooker stepped up to fight the lightweight boogeyman, Islam Makhachev, on short notice, but he is supremely confident. It seems like practically nobody wants to fight Makhachev except Hooker, who has called out the Dagestani prospect for a while. It still came as a shock when it was revealed that Dan stepped up on […]

Continue Reading Dan Hooker: Islam Makhachev Has ‘Definite Skilled,’ But ‘They All Bleed’ at MMA News.

Dan Hooker stepped up to fight the lightweight boogeyman, Islam Makhachev, on short notice, but he is supremely confident.

It seems like practically nobody wants to fight Makhachev except Hooker, who has called out the Dagestani prospect for a while. It still came as a shock when it was revealed that Dan stepped up on short notice to replace Rafael Dos Anjos and fight Islam at UFC 267, just one month after beating Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 266.

Speaking to The Mac Life ahead of this fight, “The Hangman” made it clear that he is not intimidated by the hype surrounding the Khabib Nurmagomedov protege. He made it clear that he knows how skilled Islam is, but he is not invincible.

“A bit of the Khabib mystique has rubbed off on him, and his last few performances have been pretty dominant. Like I’ve trained with Drew (Dober), and the way he fought Drew was pretty decisive. Even his last fight, like he came out there and (it) was a pretty dominant fight,” Hooker said.

“So there’s definite skill there… but I would love to be the first one to get out there and just make him look human. I know we all are, that’s the funny thing about it. People can say whatever they’re going to say, like ‘Oh, this guy’s unbeatable, this guy’s untouchable.’ I’ve been in the gym with these guys, they all bleed, they all get tired, they all get injured, they all get hurt. I know I can put anyone’s lights out.

“To everyone else, he’s kind of a mysterious character that’s got a lot of mystique and invincibility. To me, he’s just another body,” Hooker added.

It is undeniable that Dan Hooker has the most amount of confidence heading into this UFC 267 bout with Islam Makhachev. Then again, you have to be confident to make that quick of a turnaround.

Continue Reading Dan Hooker: Islam Makhachev Has ‘Definite Skilled,’ But ‘They All Bleed’ at MMA News.

Dan Hooker Steps In To Fight Islam Makhachev At UFC 267

Dan Hooker will be stepping up on short notice as he will fight Islam Makhachev at UFC 267 in Abu Dhabi. According to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, who was told by Dana White, Hooker has agreed to face Makhachev on a month’s notice at UFC 267 on October 30 in Abu Dhabi. Of course, Makhachev was […]

Continue Reading Dan Hooker Steps In To Fight Islam Makhachev At UFC 267 at MMA News.

Dan Hooker will be stepping up on short notice as he will fight Islam Makhachev at UFC 267 in Abu Dhabi.

According to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, who was told by Dana White, Hooker has agreed to face Makhachev on a month’s notice at UFC 267 on October 30 in Abu Dhabi. Of course, Makhachev was supposed to fight Rafael dos Anjos but the Brazilian was forced out of the bout due to an injury.

The news is surprising to many as Hooker had to fly back this week to New Zealand to do his two-week quarantine and he has been vocal that there are no more rooms for the rest of the year. However, there is a chance he decided to not go back and will remain in Las Vegas for the next month to train. However, this is a fight many have wanted to see, as Makhachev fans have claimed Hooker was ducking him.

Islam Makhachev (20-1) is coming off his first UFC main event where he submitted Thiago Moises in the fourth round. Prior to that, he submitted Drew Dober at UFC 259. The Dagestani native is currently on an eight-fight winning streak and is 9-1 inside the Octagon with his lone loss coming at UFC 192 where he was knocked out by Adriano Martins.

Dan Hooker
Dan Hooker (Photo: Zuffa LLC)

Dan Hooker (21-10) returned to the win column just last weekend at UFC 266 as he beat Nasrat Haqparast. It was a hectic week for Hooker as he had visa issues and did not arrive until Thursday night for the fight. The victory snapped his two-fight losing skid where he suffered a first-round KO loss to Michael Chandler at UFC 257 and a five-round decision loss to Dan Hooker. Before the setbacks, he was on a three-fight winning streak where he beat Paul Felder, Al Iaquinta, and James Vick. He also holds notable wins over Gilbert Burns, Jim Miller, and Ross Pearson.

With the addition of Islam Makhachev vs. Dan Hooker, UFC 267 is as follows:

  • Light Heavyweight Title Bout: Jan Blachowicz (c) vs. Glover Teixeira
  • Interim Bantamweight Title: Petr Yan (c) vs. Cory Sandhagen
  • Magomed Ankalaev vs. Volkan Oezdemir
  • Islam Makhachev vs. Dan Hooker
  • Marcin Tybura vs. Alexander Volkov
  • Khamzat Chimaev vs. Li Jingliang
  • Shamil Gamzatov vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
  • Virna Jandiroba vs. Amanda Ribas
  • Ricardo Ramos vs. Zubaira Tukhugov
  • Damir Ismagulov vs. Magomed Mustafaev
  • Makwan Amirkhani vs. Lerone Murphy
  • Alen Amedovski vs. Hu Yaozong
  • Allan Nascimento vs. Tagir Ulanbekov
  • Albert Duraev vs. Roman Kopylov

Who do you think will win, Islam Makhachev or Dan Hooker?

Continue Reading Dan Hooker Steps In To Fight Islam Makhachev At UFC 267 at MMA News.

Jiri Prochazka Confirms He’s Backup for Jan Blachowicz/Glover Teixeira

Jiri ProchazkaSurging UFC light heavyweight contender Jiri Prochazka will serve as the backup fighter to the upcoming Jan Blachowicz vs. Glover Teixeira title fight at UFC 267, as he confirmed during a recent interview with LowKickMMA’s James Lynch. Prochazka is fresh off his dominant win over Dominick Reyes at UFC Vegas 25 earlier this year, in […]

Jiri Prochazka

Surging UFC light heavyweight contender Jiri Prochazka will serve as the backup fighter to the upcoming Jan Blachowicz vs. Glover Teixeira title fight at UFC 267, as he confirmed during a recent interview with LowKickMMA’s James Lynch.

Prochazka is fresh off his dominant win over Dominick Reyes at UFC Vegas 25 earlier this year, in which he completely overwhelmed the former two-time light heavyweight title challenger en route to a TKO victory. The former Rizin champion has been electric since signing with the UFC, with back-to-back finishes over Reyes and Volkan Oezdemir.

Prochazka has been on the sidelines ever since, as he awaits what can be presumed as the next shot at the light heavyweight title. During his sit-down with Lynch, Prochazka talked about what’s next for him.

“I’m still the backup plan for [Blachowicz vs. Teixeira],” Prochazka said. “Right now I’m prepared for that. I need to keep my weight down for this fight for the weigh-in and I’ll be there to see the fight live. Those are my potential next opponents, and I want to be ready for them.”

Blachowicz has been a dominant champion since earning the vacant belt over Reyes at UFC 253. Earlier this year, he showcased his elite grappling to stifle Israel Adesanya at UFC 259. Prochazka would present a unique problem for both Blachowicz and Teixeira, as his style is seen as uncommon in today’s MMA.

Prochazka has some of the toughest striking to figure out in the UFC’s light heavyweight division; constantly using his quick lateral movement to confuse his opposition. He also has a textbook personality of a martial artist, training at times in the forests of the Czech Republic and showing the poise of a fight-game veteran.

Prochazka has been the target of some of the top light heavyweight contenders as of late on social media, including Aleksandar Rakic. If he ends up getting a shot on short notice at UFC 267, Prochazka intends on making the most of the opportunity.

What is your reaction to Jiri Prochazka’s recent interview with James Lynch?