Following his first round knockout loss to Michael Chandler, Dan Hooker took his gloves off in the Octagon. Now he explains why he did this, and whether or not it means he is retiring from MMA.
Known for his toughness, Hooker was expected to be a difficult test for UFC newcomer and former Bellator champion Michael Chandler. There was a lot of hype behind the debutant, but Dan was thought to be the perfect guy to make it a war.
What ended up happening however, was Chandler bulldozing the Kiwi, finishing Dan quickly in the first round. It was arguably the best UFC debut for a former Bellator fighter ever, and instantly made Mike a top contender at 155lb.
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Dan Hooker Isn’t Good At Anything Else
Following the fight, there were talks about whether or not Dan Hooker was retiring. This came after he was seen taking off his gloves in the Octagon, a telltale sign that an athlete has had enough.
Speaking in a recent interview, Dan explained that in the moment, he did feel frustrated and done with the sport. Then he got back to his hotel, calmed down, and realized that he did not want to quit competing.
“In that moment, I was like ‘I’m done! I’m finished with this s—ty sport! I’m done!'” Hooker said.
“Then you get back to the hotel and sit down, and you think about it and you realize you’re not good at anything else either. So I’m thinking ‘Well s—t, I’ve painted myself into a bit of a corner here.'”
Hooker goes on to explain that he is not any more upset from this loss than any other. The only main difference comes in the fan reaction, but he never was seriously considering retiring.
However one thing he did consider, was drinking the loss away. Unfortunately when he saw the price of alcohol, he swiftly had a change in heart.
“I was like ‘Maybe I’ll drink my sorrows away. I went to the bar and it was $20 a beer in Abu Dhabi and I said ‘Well that plan’s out the bloody window’ … $20 a beer I said ‘Well I’m not drinking my sorrows, I’m going to the gym,” Hooker laughed.
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Looking Ahead To The Next Fight
Someone who lost in the lightweight division right after Dan Hooker, was former champ-champ Conor McGregor. So some have been saying that it might be worth booking these two together.
Dan is not exactly against that idea, but he says that he is not thinking about fighting right now. He is back in the gym and training, but is still wanting to take some time before getting back to action.
“I say people’s names and call people out and do all that kind of thing when it makes sense, but I’m being practical about the whole situation,” Hooker explained.
“I’m back in the gym, I’m training, I’m wrestling, I’m grappling, but getting hit in the head is not even a thought of mine for the coming months. I’m not even thinking about that.”
Whenever he fights again, Dan Hooker will always be one of the most exciting fighters to watch. It is good to hear that he is not retiring, because he still seems to have a lot to do in the division.
