Dan Hooker is already looking ahead to the future.
The New Zealander saw his three-fight winning streak halted after losing a unanimous decision to Dustin Poirier in their five-round war at UFC Vegas 4 this past weekend.
Although he came up short after a strong start, Hooker is offering no excuses and had a fun time battling Poirier. So much so, that he can even see why Justin Gaethje said the same.
“Yeah, it was a bit of fun,” Hooker told Submission Radio. “Now I know what Gaethje was on about when he was like, I was having too much fun fighting Dustin. Like, he just got carried away. He’s a fun guy to fight, he’s a fun guy to fight. Like, he’s talking to his corner, he’s talking to you, I started talking back. Like, it just got carried away, I got carried away having too much bloody fun.
“You know, everyone’s like, oh, I don’t want to make excuses, and then they sit there railing off all their excuses. Like, it is what it is. Like, you can say whatever you want under the sun, but I took the fight, I signed on the dotted line, under whatever circumstances you fight under, like, that’s what I signed up for. We almost got the job done, but spilled milk now. We just move on.”
Next Opponents For Hooker
Although it was a setback, Hooker’s stock certainly rose in defeat. He hasn’t dropped in the rankings either as he retains his No. 5 spot in the lightweight ranks.
So what fight makes sense for him next? “Hangman” thinks Charles Oliveira is ideal with Poirier facing Tony Ferguson next. That said, if Poirier is sitting out for some time, Hooker is more than happy to compete against Ferguson.
“They shuffled the rankings around a little bit. Felder dropped below Oliveira, and Dustin moved above Tony. So it’s interesting times,” Hooker said. “So, obviously the two fights that make the most sense is Dustin versus Tony, and then me versus Oliveira. Those two fights make the most sense, right? But then, yeah, if Dustin wants to sit the rest of the year out and Tony wants to fight, well then I’m the next logical fight for Tony. So, I want to get back in there before the end of the year for sure. One hundred percent I’m gonna fight again before this year closes out. And if Tony wants to get back in there, then I think that fight makes a lot of sense, if I’m being honest.
“That’s best-case scenario for me, obviously is fighting Tony Ferguson. That’s number three, and I get another crack at number three. My first crack at number six was Barboza, and that went like sh*t. And then my second crack at number six was Al Iaquinta, and then I whooped him. So, I think I do better on my second time around the roundabout.”
“I’ve got my eyes on who I want to fight next, and I think it’s either gonna be Tony or it’s gonna be Oliveira, and I think either one of those fights is another main event. But then, Oliveira, he’s getting carried away calling out Poirier and calling out Conor, and he’s beating around the bush, trying to say anyone except me or Tony. He’s a funny guy. But yeah, I’ll have to wait and see, because obviously Tony makes way more sense for me. But if I have to go back and then solidify my place in the top five, I’m happy to do that. I just want to fight and I want to fight before the end of the year, and either of those two names makes sense for me.”
Either one of those fights would be potential barnburners.
You can watch the full interview below:
