Dan Hooker's stock is as soon as again rising in the UFC light-weight department.
New Zealand's “Hangman” won his 3rd successive battle (24-12 total) for the very first time because 2019-2020 when he made a split choice over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305 this previous Saturday. With the win, Hooker discovers himself in the mix atop the department as the fifth-ranked competitor in the UFC's main rankings.
Hooker, 34, can anticipate a huge battle in his next time out and targets the previous champ Charles Oliveira as the likeliest match. Another previous champ in Ireland's Conor McGregor is still anticipated to return around the end of the year. That may be positive at this phase, however regardless, Michael Chandler has actually been the name connected to McGregor's return. Eventually, Hooker does not see what Chandler provides for McGregor.
“I seem like it's a wise alternative,” Hooker informed Submission Radio. “You're going to combat a guy in the leading 5 on a on a 3 battle win streak or are you going to combat a guy who's not in the leading 5 and coming off a loss?
“I've been remaining active and I've been combating the very best guys on the planet. It simply is what it is. He has more to acquire from combating me than he does from Chandler.”
Coincidentally, Chandler made his UFC launching versus Hooker at UFC 257 in January 2021. The previous three-time Bellator champ knocked out Hooker in round one before McGregor got knocked out because night's centerpiece in his Dustin Poirier rematch.
McGregor, 36, infamously fought Poirier in their trilogy instantly that following July, which was his last octagon look, breaking his leg in round one and suffering a TKO defeat. Whether it's McGregor, Oliveira, or another person, Hooker understands he'll be defending a title shot next.
Given that McGregor is constantly a battle far from a title, why not him?
“My next battle is going to be a title remover,” Hooker stated. “That's what my next battle is going to be. If he desires, if he truly desires to get back in the mix and really desires to make his method back to a world title, it makes a lot of sense.”
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