UFC lightweight Dan Hooker suffered a pretty serious loss to Michael Chandler at UFC 257. That being said, he does not plan on taking any easy fights moving forward, and will not be shying away from any risks.
Win or lose, Hooker never ceases to entertain when he is in the Octagon. He is the type of guy who can withstand taking beatings and make any fight an all-out war that usually ends up with Fight of the Night honors.
That is why it was so shocking to see him get knocked out so quickly when he faced former Bellator champ Michael Chandler in his UFC debut. The fight was over quickly in the first, a feat that nobody had pulled off against Dan.
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Dan Hooker Will Take Risky Fights
There is no denying that this was a risky fight for Dan Hooker to take, and he came up short. However he has made it clear that he does not plan on shying away from these types of risks moving forward.
Speaking in a recent interview, Dan said that this was the way things played out, and he does not worry too much about it. With a 20-10 pro record, he says that he does not need to worry about padding himself up against easy competition.
“I see the rankings now and there’s a lot of guys that have just sat out. For as long as I’ve fought… I could have sat out the whole time and I still would’ve been ranked in the top five,” Hooker said.
“That’s not the fighter I am. That’s not the person I am. That’s not the man I am. Man, I’ve got an ugly ass record as it is. It’s not like I’ve got to protect the damn thing.
“It’s a powerful thing, knowing that you can pick yourself back up. That’s one thing I can say. Even if I get knocked down, I have full confidence that I have the ability to pick myself back up and get back out there.
“That is what allows me to the a lot of risks that a lot of other guys aren’t willing to take, because maybe they’re not so confident that they can pick themselves back up if they get defeated, or if things don’t go their way, or if they get knocked out, or if they get choked out.”
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What’s Next For The Hangman?
Unlike most fighters, when Dan Hooker leaves the country for a fight, he has to quarantine for several weeks before he can see his family again. this is something he has done twice since the start of the global pandemic.
Because of this, he does not plan on fighting again anytime soon. That said, he made it clear that he is the type of guy who would reconsider this, if the UFC offered him the right opponent.
“It’s a funny time, so guys have to take their opportunities when they come, especially for a fighter like me,” Hooker said.
“So I can say it, I can say ‘Oh, I’m going to take some time off, I’m going to do this and I’m going to do that,’ but man, I ride the bullet son! When I get that email, I ride the bullets…
“Once I get a name, I change my tune very quickly.”
Who do you want to see Dan Hooker square up against when he returns to action?
