- Dan Hooker opened up about when the UFC was trying to match him against Tony Ferguson
- “The Hangman” believes he is still capable of competing against the best
Dan Hooker remains confident that he could still compete at a high level and he is far from retiring. It is absolutely the reason why he felt slighted by the UFC when the matchmakers attempted to book him against a declining lightweight contender in Tony Ferguson.
The Hangman is still in the Fold
Speaking to Submission Radio, Hooker revealed that following his TKO victory over Claudio Puelles, he and his team were hoping to land a top contender. Instead, they learned that the UFC was planning to do some sort of a “veteran vs. veteran” bout with him and Ferguson. The idea didn’t sit well with “The Hangman” even though he called “El Cucuy” out in the past.
“Obviously, I broke my hand and then I was getting back into training like, easing back into training and then I think someone fought and I asked my manager, like, ‘What about this guy?’ You know, like, a top contender, I can’t remember who it was but I messaged Ash like, ‘Oh, what about this guy for the next fight?’ And he replied, ‘Oh we asked for Tony Ferguson,’ and I was so f**king offended,’” Hooker recalled.
“That was like, that sparked me,” he continued. “I was like, f**k this, the doctors were saying you’ve gotta wait another month for your hand before you can get back into training and I said f*** that and I went and sparred, like, the next day because I was so offended. I was like that guy, that’s not what I want to be, that’s not what I’m here for to do the veteran vs. veteran, I’m here to be the best, I’m here to challenge myself against the best guys in the world.”
No to Retirement
A few years back, Hooker gained popularity for being one of the most entertaining fighters in the lightweight division, most notably when he scored first-round knockout wins over Jim Miller, Gilbert Burns and James Vick.
It wasn’t the case now, but “The Hangman” is still motivated to be the best in the world.
“I want to fight a lot of contenders,” Hooker admitted. “Like, that’s what I’m here for, that’s what gets me out of bed in the morning, is trying to be the best… People are like thinking, ‘Oh, you know you go, you’re already planning your escape route.’ I was like thinking no, I’m gonna be like 48 [and still fighting]. I was like everyone needs to just chill out, everyone needs to relax. I was like, it’s not in the next six months my friend, [but] in the next 20 years, like we’ve got time.”
Hooker will be back inside the Octagon at UFC 290 when he faces No. 11 lightweight contender Jalin Turner.
