Dan Hooker will never get the chance to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov, but he can show people how the fight would’ve gone when he meets Islam Makhachev at UFC 267.
Hooker beat Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 266 and shortly thereafter, it was revealed Rafael dos Anjos was out of the fight against Makhachev, and Hooker stepped up on short notice. There are many reasons as to why he took the fight but one of them is to show the world how he would’ve done against Nurmagomedov.
“If I could fight any lightweight on the face of the planet, it would be Khabib,” Hooker told MMA Fighting. “I want to see how I measure up with him. It’s no lie that Islam’s the next best thing. Beating Islam is the only opportunity you’re going to get to show what would have happened if you got in there with Khabib when he was champion. There’s a lot of exciting aspects about this fight. It’s just another one. I feel like it’s a perfect time for this fight to come together.”
Dan Hooker is well aware that Makhachev will be a tough fight for anyone, especially taking it on short notice. However, he is confident in his skill set that he can keep it standing and have success on the feet. He also knows a win puts him in title contention at lightweight.
“Everyone’s putting him on a pedestal,” Hooker said about his opponent. “Every guy is showing a lot of respect for his abilities and making a lot of comparisons with Khabib. It will be a great opportunity. I feel like this is a massive fight. A win here puts you in title contention. That’s another thing that’s obviously exciting.”
Although Hooker has also been getting praise for taking this fight, he says he doesn’t care as all he is worried about is winning.
“You’re the man if you win,” Hooker said bluntly. “I don’t fight for the sake of fighting. I fight to win. That’s my main concentration right now. I don’t want to live off the credit of taking fights. I want to life off the credit of beating the best guys in the world.”
