Tag: UFC on ESPN 52

Dan Hooker blames himself for broken arm that forced UFC on ESPN 52 withdrawal

Dan Hooker says he “took a risk” by trying to fight so soon at UFC on ESPN 52, and the decision backfired on him.

[autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] broke the same arm he injured in his past fight.

Hooker (23-12 MMA, 13-8 UFC) was forced to withdraw from his lightweight co-headliner against Bobby Green (31-14-1 MMA, 12-9-1 UFC) scheduled for Dec. 2 at UFC on ESPN 52 after breaking his arm.

“(In) sparring yesterday, copped a bit of a kick,” Hooker told Submission Radio. “Got sent to an X-ray. She’s custard … Yeah, it just broke in the same place, and it kind of is what it is.”

Hooker broke his right arm in the first round of his barnburner against Jalin Turner at UFC 290 in July, which required surgery. The City Kickboxing fighter admits he should have taken more time off before returning.

“I took a risk,” Hooker said. “I obviously came back a little quicker than … Yeah, like, it’s all on me. I rushed to come back. I wanted to fight. I knew the risk of coming back that quickly, and we rolled the dice and we come up snake eyes, baby.”

Hooker, who’s coming off back-to-back wins, said he re-injured his arm during sparring.

“Yeah, just sparring yesterday,” Hooker said. “Bro, one of those things. I blocked a thousand kicks in the last couple of months and just one hit on the right spot and it just, yeah. It is what it is.”

“The Hangman” is expected to go under the knife again to repair his arm and sees UFC 300 in April as a good date to target for his return.

“I’ll be back,” Hooker said. “UFC 300 in five months. That’s a good target. Everything happens for a reason. That one wasn’t meant to be. Yeah, UFC 300 in five months. Speaking with the surgeon, that’s a comfortable target for three months of rehab and the training camp. So, onto the future.”

[lawrence-related id=2698203,2657676,2657789]

Bobby Green challenges peers to step up for UFC on ESPN 52: ‘I want to see who’s gangster like me’

After Dan Hooker’s injury, Bobby Green wants to see who will prove they’re “gangster” by stepping up to fill in at UFC on ESPN 52.

UFC lightweight [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] wants one of his peers to prove they’re “gangster” by stepping up on short notice for a showdown in Texas.

Eleven days before Green (31-14-1 MMA, 12-9-1 UFC) was scheduled to compete at UFC on ESPN 52 at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, his opponent Dan Hooker (23-12 MMA, 13-8 UFC) was revealed to be injured and out of their five-round co-main event bout. The event is headlined by a lightweight bout between Beneil Dariush and Arman Tsarukyan.

Green is now hoping someone will step up on short notice to fill the void, as he has done himself many times throughout his career.

“I want to see who’s gangster like me,” Green said in a video posted to his Instagram Stories. I fought on 10 days’ notice. I went on two weeks’ notice. I done made weight, passed the f*ck out, my lungs collapsed and everything on two weeks’ notice. I done did it all.

“Let me see who gangster like me. I guarantee don’t nobody step up. Let’s find out.”

The sources told MMA Junkie the UFC is actively seeking a replacement for Hooker. A number of Green’s peers have made their voices heard after the news broke. Former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos, who now lives in Austin, wrote on X that he would be up for a fight in his backyard at 165 pounds or 170.

Jared Gordon faced Green in April in a main card bout that resulted in a no contest after a clash of heads. Gordon, who just fought less than two weeks ago at UFC 295, simply stated “Run it back” on X.

Terrance McKinney also threw his name in the hat of potential short-notice replacements by stating on X that it “would be a honor to throw down” with Green.

[lawrence-related id=2697949,2692537,2686605]

Dan Hooker injured, out of fight vs. Bobby Green at UFC on ESPN 52

Dan Hooker is out of his fight against Bobby Green at UFC on ESPN 52.

UFC on ESPN 52 just took a major hit.

Arguably the most anticipated bout in the card has fallen through, as [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] suffered an arm injury and is now out of his lightweight bout against [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag].

MMA Junkie confirmed the news with two sources Tuesday, following a first report from New Zealand Herald.

Both fan-favorite fighters were supposed to throw down in a five-round co-main event of UFC on ESPN 52, which goes down on Dec. 2 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. The promotion has yet to announce the change and is currently seeking a replacement on short notice.

Hooker was looking to continue to build momentum following his loss at featherweight against Arnold Allen in 2022. Since then, he’s put together two wins, defeating Claudio Puelles and Jalin Turner.

Meanwhile, Green also finds himself on a two-fight winning streak. He knocked out Grant Dawson last month and submitted Tony Ferguson in July.

Arman Tsarukyan: If I want to fight for the title I have to finish Beneil Dariush in UFC main event

Beating Beneil Dariush is not enough for Arman Tsarukyan at UFC on ESPN 52.

Beating [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] is not enough for [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag].

Tsarukyan (20-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) takes on Dariush (22-5-1 MMA, 16-5-1 UFC) in the UFC on ESPN 52 headliner Dec. 2 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas.

Although Dariush is a top five UFC lightweight, Tsarukyan thinks he needs to make a statement if he wants to enter the title picture. Dariush was on an eight-fight winning streak until he ran into Charles Oliveira, who stopped him by first-round TKO at UFC 289 in June.

“They (fans) got to expect the best performance from Arman Tsarukyan,” Tsarukyan said in an interview with Middle Easy. “The best KO. Definitely, it’s going to be a finish. So, If I want to fight for the title, I’ve got to finish.

“If I’m going to win barely, people are going to talk, ‘Oh Oliveira knocked him out, you just barely win him, what are you talking about?’ So that’s why I’ve got to perform very well and knock him out. To be honest, I like a lot Dariush. I like the fighter, I like the guy, so I’ve got to give him respect.”

Tsarukyan has gone five rounds once in his career when he lost a razor thin Fight of the Night decision to Mateusz Gamrot in June 2022. Meanwhile, UFC on ESPN 52 marks Dariush’s first 25-minute fight.

“Before Gamrot, I had never fought five rounds,” Tsarukyan said. “Now I fought five rounds and I have that experience. Now I know how to control my gas. Beneil never had a five-round fight so that’s good. I already have that, and I have more experience in five rounds. Hopefully it’s not going to be five rounds, I want to finish him early.”

[lawrence-related id=2692154,2694017]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 52.

Sean Brady confident he’d avenge Belal Muhammad loss, says he beats him 9/10 times

Sean Brady thinks his loss to Belal Muhammad would never happen again if they ran things back.

[autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag] thinks his loss to [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] would never happen again if they ran things back.

Muhammad (23-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) handed Brady his first career loss at UFC 280 in October 2022 when he stopped him by Round 2 TKO. It was a tough pill to swallow for Brady (15-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC), but the 30-year-old chalks it up to a mental thing, not skills.

“The world’s not going to end when you lose, you know? I had this thing in my mind that the world was going to be over if I lost my undefeated record,” Brady told MMA Junkie. “It’s not that serious. Yeah, fighting is a huge part of my life, but anybody can lose when you’re fighting the best guys in the world, especially.

“I just got to believe in myself more. I kind of didn’t believe in all my skills that night. I kind of had a little mental lapse, but that will never happen again. I’ve learned more from that loss than I did all of my wins. So, it was very good for me. I’m honestly happy it happened.”

Muhammad has continued to shine since beating Brady, picking up a big win over former title challenger Gilbert Burns at UFC 288. But Brady thinks he beats Muhammad every other time they fight.

“I think if I fight Belal 10 times, he beat me that one, I’d beat him the other nine,” Brady said. “But, I’m super happy for him to see where he’s at and hopefully he’ll keep winning, I’ll keep winning, and we’ll get to do it again.”

Brady will look to rebound when he welcomes Kelvin Gastelum (18-8 MMA, 12-8 UFC) back to welterweight at UFC on ESPN 52 on Dec. 2 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas.

[lawrence-related id=2694395,2639267,2591029,2590487]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 52.

Sean Brady breaks down rough road to UFC Austin, rebound effort after first loss

Ahead of his return at UFC on ESPN 52 in Austin, Texas, Sean Brady says he won’t be deterred after his first loss more than a year ago.

NEW YORK – [autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag] won’t be deterred after suffering his first-career loss.

Brady (15-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) welcomes Kelvin Gastelum (18-8 MMA, 12-8 UFC) back to welterweight in his return at UFC on ESPN 52 Dec. 2 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas.

Brady hasn’t competed since a TKO loss to Belal Muhammad at UFC 280 in October 2022. He was forced to withdraw from two fights against Michel Pereira and Jack Della Maddalena due to injury and sickness, which has delayed his comeback.

“It’s been tough – fallouts, injuries, but I’m just staying the course,” Brady told MMA Junkie. “I was 15-0. I lost one fight. I know what I’m destined to do. I’m going to be a world champion, and I’ve just got to stay that course and take it one fight at a time.”

Brady’s loss came to Muhammad, who is on the cusp of title contention. He chalks off his performance to an off night mentally.

“The world’s not going to end when you lose,” Brady said. “I had this thing in my mind that the world was going to be over if I lost my undefeated record, and it’s not that serious. Yeah, fighting is a huge part of my life, but anybody can lose when you’re fighting the best guys in the world, especially.

“I’ve just got to believe in myself more. I kind of didn’t believe in all my skills that night. I kind of had a little mental lapse, but that will never happen again. I learned more from that loss than I did all of my wins, so it was very good for me and I’m honestly happy it happened.”

Brady hopes he can run things back with Muhammad one day and is confident he beats him if he gets his wish.

“I think if I fight Belal 10 times, he beat me that one, I’d beat him the other nine,” Brady said. “But I’m super happy for him to see where he’s at, and hopefully he’ll keep winning, I’ll keep winning, and we’ll get to do it again.”

[lawrence-related id=2685388,2656708,2639267]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 52.

Beneil Dariush reflects on loss to Charles Oliveira: ‘I didn’t show up that night’

“I can’t think of anything I did well,” Beneil Dariush says of his loss to Charles Oliveira five months later.

Five months later, [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] says he wasn’t himself when he fought [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag].

Dariush (22-5-1 MMA, 16-5-1 UFC) saw his eight-fight winning streak snapped this past June when he was stopped by former champion Oliveira in the first round at UFC 289. Although Dariush was able to take down Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) early, he was rather critical of his performance.

“Just I didn’t show up that night,” Dariush told MMA Junkie. “No matter how I look at it, I just didn’t show up that night. That’s the best way I could put it unfortunately. I wish I did. I wish I put on a better performance and I was more myself, but I just didn’t look good. I can’t think of anything I did well.”

Dariush is no stranger to bouncing back strong. Prior to stringing together eight wins, the 34-year-old was winless in three consecutive fights.

“All my losses sting,” Dariush said. “Honestly I never get over my losses. That’s also one of the reasons why I’ve got to where I got to. I never get over my losses. I just continue to dig and get better. As far as which one stings the most, obviously the Charles fight is the most recent, but I can still remember all my losses, and I want them all back.

“It’s a really weird thing how obsessive I could be over losses to a point where, if I overthink it, it could crush me. But fortunately for me, being a devout Christian, I don’t put my identity in fighting, and that really helps me just step away from it.”

Dariush meets Arman Tsarukyan (20-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) in the UFC on ESPN 52 headliner Dec. 2 at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. He expects Tsarukyan to try and mix things up, and he’s ready for it.

“I think he’s going to be looking to go low and go high. By low I mean takedowns, and by high I mean striking,” Dariush said. “But that’s what I prepare for every day. I prepare to fight guys that can do it all. I don’t know if he does anything that would surprise me.

“Once I get in there, I’ll have a better idea. I will say I need to get a better idea of his strength. That’s something that could be out of my expectations. When I went with Gamrot, he was strong, but I didn’t feel, ‘Oh man, this guy is overwhelming me.’ Let’s see if Tsarukyan is going to be the same thing.”

[lawrence-related id=2692154,2683727,2665797]

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 52.