Dan Hooker – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Dan Hooker respects ‘real fighter’ Bobby Green more than 99.9 percent of other fighters

Dan Hooker thinks Bobby Green is one of the few real fighters left in the sport.

[autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] is one of the few real fighters left in the sport.

Lightweights Hooker (23-12 MMA, 13-8 UFC) and Green (31-14-1 MMA, 12-9-1 UFC) meet in the co-main event of a UFC Fight Night card Dec. 2 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. Both fighters got their wish after they expressed interest in a fight against each other.

Green is riding plenty of momentum after back-to-back finishes of former interim champion Tony Ferguson and streaking contender Grant Dawson. Hooker has rebounded, himself, in impressive fashion with two wins over Claudio Puelles and Jalin Turner and looks forward to throwing down with Green.

“He’s got a lot of good skills,” Hooker told Combat TV. “I respect Bobby Green probably more than I respect 99.9 percent of the other fighters in the UFC. That’s a real fighter. There’s not many of us left, so it’s an exciting fight. I rate his skills quite highly. It looks very unique, but it’s just a lot of different high-level stuff all happening at the same time. I respect his skills a lot.”

Despite being the co-headliner, Hooker and Green are slated for five rounds. “The Hangman” doesn’t seem too interested in a 25-minute fight.

“The cheeky buggers said it was a main event – sweet: five rounds. And then they switched it to co-main and they reckon it’s still five rounds,” Hooker said. “Check with all my old bosses: I don’t do overtime. Nah, we’ll see. I think it’s just a bit of a misunderstanding.”

[lawrence-related id=2684558,2657676,2685442,2686056]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for the UFC Fight Night event.

UFC Austin official with Beneil Dariush vs. Arman Tsarukyan, Dan Hooker vs. Bobby Green as 5-round fights

The UFC is officially headed back to Austin, Texas and its bringing two five-round fights to top the card.

The UFC is headed back to Austin, Texas and two five-round lightweight fights sit atop the bill.

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] and [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] will headline a UFC Fight Night card Dec. 2 at Moody Center. UFC CEO Dana White officially announced the card on X. The event marks the first time the promotion has held an event in Austin since a June 2022 card headlined by Josh Emmett vs. Calvin Kattar.

Dariush (22-5-1 MMA, 16-5-1 UFC) will attempt to rebound from his TKO loss to Charles Oliveira in June, which snapped a seven-fight winning streak. Tsarukyan (20-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC), meanwhile, tries to build off his third-round TKO of Joaquim Silva in June.

Hooker (23-12 MMA, 13-8 UFC) and Green (31-14-1 MMA, 12-9-1 UFC) have angled for a matchup in recent weeks, since Green knocked out Grant Dawson in 33 seconds on Oct. 7.

Both fighters ride two-fight winning streaks into the matchup. Hooker defeated Claudio Puelles and Jalin Turner in succession. Green finished back-to-back fights against Tony Ferguson and Dawson.

Other contender fights on the Dec. 2 card include Deiveson Figueiredo’s bantamweight debut vs. Rob Font, Kelvin Gastelum’s return to welterweight vs. Sean Brady, and former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate’s return vs. Julia Avila.

With the addition, the UFC Austin lineup includes:

Beneil Dairush vs. Arman Tsaukyan
Dan Hooker vs. Bobby Green
Rob Font vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
Sean Brady vs. Kelvin Gastelum
Roman Dolidze vs. TBA
Miesha Tate vs. Julia Avila
Veronica Hardy vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth
Azamat Murzakanov vs. Khalil Rountree
Clay Guida vs. Joaquim Silva
Drakkar Klose vs. Joe Solecki
Jared Gooden vs. Wellington Turman
Melquizael Costa vs. Steve Garcia

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for the UFC Fight Night event.

Dan Hooker: If Mateusz Gamrot doesn’t want it, ‘me and Bobby Green mix it up’

Dan Hooker’s first choice is Mateusz Gamrot, but welcomes Bobby Green if he doesn’t get his preference.

[autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag]’s first choice is [autotag]Mateusz Gamrot[/autotag], but welcomes [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] if he doesn’t get his preference.

Green called out Hooker (23-12 MMA, 13-8 UFC) after needing just 33 seconds to knock out Grant Dawson in this past Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 229 headliner, and Hooker was quick to respond.

But “The Hangman” clarifies that he’d rather fight Gamrot (23-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) if possible.

“Bobby’s a fun one, right? We go out there and touch gloves, like, we’re just going to have a fight,” Hooker told Submission Radio. “That sounds like fun to me. That’s a fun one. Gamrot’s a tricky one in that you’re going to have to be a bit more patient and a bit more slowed down. But Gamrot is the fight that gets me to where I want to go.”

Gamrot is coming off a TKO win due to injury over Rafael Fiziev last month. He has been dubbed as the official backup for lightweight champion Islam Makhachev’s title-fight rematch with Charles Oliveira at UFC 294 on Oct. 21, but Hooker doesn’t plan on waiting for him for too long. If Gamrot isn’t willing to fight in December or January, he’d be happy to take on Green.

“That’s it – Gamrot. I’m asking for Gamrot,” Hooker said. “If Gamrot doesn’t want it, me and Bobby Green mix it up. My manager’s already contacted Sean Shelby and the UFC that I’m good to go and I want to have a fight. So it’s first in, best dressed. If Gamrot wants to sit and wait, I’m not going to sit and wait. I’m not going to wait around for him. I’m ready for action.”

Green (31-14-1 MMA, 12-9-1 UFC) came up big as an underdog when he handed Dawson his first octagon loss. Hooker was impressed by his performance.

“Dawson’s legit. That kid’s a problem. That kid’s a problem,” Hooker said. “And then for Bobby to go out there and clean him up the way that he cleaned him up, that’s a heap of momentum. Beating No. 10, he’ll probably be No. 10 by the end of this week.

“You want to fight people that have heaps of momentum. You want to fight people that get you excited. I don’t think too much about it. Now I have a manager. I have to message him before I start calling people out. Bu I just straight away called after that performance. I was just like, ‘I’d love to fight him.'”

[lawrence-related id=2684558,2681517,2659357,2657789]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 229.

UFC’s Dan Hooker grateful for ‘humble pie’ he received from Dustin Poirier in 2020

Dan Hooker’s memorable war with Dustin Poirier had a huge impact on his UFC career.

[autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag]’s memorable war with [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] was a big learning experience.

Hooker (23-12 MMA, 13-8 UFC) was outlasted by Poirier in a five-round barnburner in June 2020. Hooker won the first two rounds, but “The Diamond” was able to turn things around and inflict serious damage on Hooker, which resulted in a trip to the hospital.

After his setback to Poirier, Hooker would go on to lose three of his next four fights. However, “The Hangman” has found his groove again courtesy of back-to-back wins over Claudio Puelles, and Jalin Turner.

“I hit him (Poirier) with the kitchen sink, and then he just cruises through,” Hooker told Combat TV. “He comes out the next round and you’re just looking at him, he doesn’t care about that one bit, like cool as a cucumber. The things I learned in that fight have helped me win my last two fights. I kept quiet, but he (Puelles) fractured my knee, he wrecked my knee. But same thing, I wasn’t concerned. Not getting caught up, panicking and stuff like that.”

Hooker’s most recent win came over Turner in another back-and-forth battle at UFC 290 this past July. It was a rough start for Hooker, who lost the first round, before rallying in the final two rounds. Things played out oppositely for him from the Poirier fight, which he drew experience from.

“Same thing when I’m fighting Turner,” Hooker continued. “He’s teeing off on me and hitting me, rocking me and kicking me in the head, and I was staying cool. And I looked at him and I was like, ‘He’s panicking.’ He’s beating the crap out of me, and he’s the one having a panic attack. I was like, ‘Relax, bro.’ But yeah, it comes from experience.

“If I never had that humble pie from Dustin Poirier, then I wouldn’t be the fighter I am today.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=420030788]

UFC’s Grant Dawson doesn’t see unranked Bobby Green as step back, eyes Dan Hooker with win

Bobby Green might be unranked, but Grant Dawson still views him as a dangerous opponent at UFC Fight Night 229.

[autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] might be unranked, but [autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] still views him as a big fight.

Lightweights Dawson (20-1-1 MMA, 8-0-1 UFC) and Green (30-14-1 MMA, 11-9-1 UFC) will headline UFC Fight Night 228 on Oct. 7 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Dawson is currently ranked in the UFC’s top 10 at 155 pounds but sees a win over fan favorite Green propelling him forward regardless. Green is coming off a submission win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 291, and Dawson thinks underestimating him would be a grave mistake.

“Rankings, to me, doesn’t make any difference,” Dawson told MMA Junkie Radio. “I’m not fighting backwards in this fight, I’m not fighting forward, I’m just fighting. That’s what it is. Islam Makhachev got a title shot off of beating Bobby Green, so anything can happen in this sport. Bobby Green, if I’m not on my game and if I don’t respect him like he deserves to be respected, I’m going to be looking up at him off of my back getting woken up by the referee.

“I know how dangerous he is. I know how much experience he has. I know what a big following he has. I am ready for a very, very competitive and a very, very strong fight. I don’t like it when people are like, ‘Oh, you’re fighting behind.’ There is no fighting behind. We’re just fighting, that’s it. The only spot that matters is who’s champion. That is really the only thing that matters.”

If Dawson gets past Green, he hopes to draw [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] next. Hooker (22-12 MMA, 12-8 UFC) returned to the win column in July when he edged out Jalin Turner in a thrilling battle at UFC 290.

“After Bobby Green – obviously I’m only focused on Bobby Green, but after Bobby Green, we’re looking to fight against Dan Hooker,” Dawson said. “Assuming everything goes well, and I think that would be one of my breakout performances.”

Although a risky approach, Dawson thinks his willingness to fight anyone and remain active will eventually pay off and lead to his goal of becoming champion. Dawson is unbeaten in his past 12 fights.

“As long as I keep winning, I don’t think that they’ll be able to deny me much longer,” Dawson concluded. “I think that by the end of 2025, we will have a new champion and his name will be Grant Dawson.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 229.

MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Month for July: New champion crowned in five-round thriller

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from July 2023.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from July 2023: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Month award for July.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice.

Nominees

Dan Hooker wants big name that will ‘tickle the fans’ balls’ after UFC 290 win over Jalin Turner

Dan Hooker emerged victorious at UFC 290 and would like to be rewarded accordingly with a huge fight on home soil.

[autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] is ready to start taking on big names again.

Hooker (22-12 MMA, 12-8 UFC) picked up his second consecutive win this past Saturday at UFC 290 when he rallied to defeat Jalin Turner in a Fight of the Night effort.

The grueling battle with Turner left Hooker with a broken arm and a facial fracture to his right cheek area. “The Hangman,” who has competed against the likes of current lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier, hopes to draw a compelling name for his next outing – and would love for it to be at home.

“I heard 2024 they’re coming back to New Zealand, back to Auckland,” Hooker told Submission Radio. “So, if I could drag that back to New Zealand, back to Auckland and get like a big-name fight, that would be cool. That would be cool next. Yeah, like something big, something big. But I think I’ve only got … that next one, that’s the last fight of my contract. So yeah, it’s time to sit down with the boys at the UFC and get something big next and get another contract underway.”

Hooker has fought in New Zealand three times, scoring a first-round TKO of Ian Entwistle in his UFC debut, knocking out Ross Pearson in 2017, then outlasting Paul Felder in a main event in 2020.

If the UFC returns to New Zealand next year, Hooker wants a fight that would excite the fans.

“Yeah, it would need to be a big fight, because the stress of that is incredible,” Hooker said. “Especially coming off the performances like that. That’s three fights in Auckland. Fought on every single card, and they were all big wins. You know, first-round TKO, then the Pearson knockout, and then the absolute war with Paul Felder. So that’s three incredible performances. I feel like the expectations for coming back to Auckland are enormous. So, it’s like, you need a dance partner that warranted that excitement.

“I feel like you’d need a dance partner where it’s either one of those guys that’s like super exciting that the fans are just like, man, this is going to deliver 100 percent. Or you need an opponent that’s going to tickle the fans’ balls. You know what I mean? Be like, ‘Ooh, I don’t know if he could beat that guy.’ You know what I mean? Like, it needs to be a big, exciting fight. If we’re going to pack out … oh, I think we easily pack out the arena in New Zealand. I think that’s a sellout. That’s hands down a sellout.”

[lawrence-related id=2658722,2659134,2657789]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 290.

UFC 290 post-event facts: Alexandre Pantoja benefits from rare split decision title change

The best facts from UFC 290, which featured a record amount of sub-minute finishes and saw Alexandre Pantoja win gold in rare fashion.

The UFC’s 11th annual International Fight Week closed on a memorable high Saturday with UFC 290, which took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

After a explosive and entertaining lead up to the night’s title fights, one belt stayed put while another changed hands.

In the main event, [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (26-2 MMA, 13-1 UFC) dismantled [autotag]Yair Rodriguez[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) en route to a third-round TKO for his fifth featherweight title defense. The co-headliner saw [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag] (26-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC) capture the flyweight strap with a split decision win over [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] (21-7-2 MMA, 9-3-2 UFC) in a Fight of the Year contender.

For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC 290.