New Zealand’s Dan Hooker is eyeing a move to the featherweight division after reportedly cutting weight in a test to see if he can still achieve the weight in a healthy manner.
Dan Hooker started his UFC career at featherweight. The 31-year-old returned to lightweight after six UFC bouts. Following a unanimous decision loss to Jason Knight, Hooker rebounded nicely when he was tasked with fighting veteran Ross Pearson. “The Hangman” got the job done via KO. Overall, Dan Hooker sports a unique build and is a perplexing challenge for most UFC fighters on their feet. In particular, the lengthy New Zealand native is well versed in launching knees down the middle when he needs to slow a fight down.
Hooker’s recent foray into lightweight has slowed but the City Kickboxing representative has fought some of the best competition the UFC has to offer. “The Hangman” welcomed Michael Chandler into the UFC earlier this year. Prior to his quick KO loss to Chandler, Hooker failed to pick up a victory when he was paired in a thrilling 5-round main event against Dustin Poirier. Despite showing that he was able to hang with “The Diamond”, Hooker still lost the contest in a decisive manner.
Hooker saw success against Poirier in the earlier rounds but the former interim champion was able to take over the later rounds with his conditioning and forward pressure. In fact, Dan Hooker’s pressure was so evident in his main event against Poirier that all three judges unanimously scored rounds one and two for Dan Hooker. In 2021, Dan Hooker earned a hard-fought victory fraught with travel and visa issues against Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 266.
Dan Hooker Eying Featherweight Again
After getting back into the win column using his wrestling base, Hooker was in a prime position to wheel and deal for a big fight. New Zealand’s Hooker faced Islam Makhachev on short notice after Rafael dos Anjos withdrew from the UFC 266 fight. Hooker desperately needs a victory to remain in the top-15 rankings in the UFC. Following a test cut to 145-pounds, Hooker seems motivated to step back into the Octagon.
45 look alive. pic.twitter.com/JU0pl0tKkV
— Dan Hangman Hooker (@danthehangman) November 23, 2021
“45 look alive.” Dan Hooker posted on Twitter Monday evening.
After staying at lightweight for years, it appears the cut to 145-pounds for Hooker was done in relative comfort. With Dan Hooker eying the featherweight division, perhaps “The Hangman” is providing fans with a strong hint as to the details surrounding his next fight.
Who would you like to see Dan Hooker face at 145-pounds?
