Stepping in on short notice is Dan Hooker who faces the surging lightweight Islam Makhachev at UFC 267.
The pay-per-view event is scheduled to go down on Fight Island located in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The two UFC-ranked lightweights will meet on October 30 inside the Octagon. News of the reported match-up was first announced by Brett Okamoto with ESPN.
DAN HOOKER (@danthehangman) is stepping in to face Islam Makhachev (@MAKHACHEVMMA) at UFC 267 in one month, per Dana White (@danawhite). Just fought at UFC 266, on a week he had to fly from New Zealand to Vegas two days before the fight. What a savage, this guy. pic.twitter.com/DJvGnbWwlF
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) September 30, 2021
Hooker just spent the better part of a week in a different kind of fight at the airport. With the snap lockdown measures taking place in New Zealand/Australia, he was unable to get his visa until the eleventh hour of fight week. Despite the pre-fight squabbles, “The Hangman” came to America and handled business like a professional. Ironically, while many were concerned about Hooker’s arrival, it was revealed that his opponent, Nasrat Haqparast was having the same visa issues and might not make it to the UFC 266 PPV.
They both made it in time for weigh-ins, and Hooker and Haqparast cut weight while flying through the air to Las Vegas, Nevada. After showing a new wrinkle in his seasoned MMA game, Hooker defeated Haqparast. Moving forward opponents will have to consider Hooker’s wrestling toolbox as a viable threat.
Facing the short-notice Hooker is a determined Makhachev who has been compared to Khabib Nurmagomedov since his UFC inception. The 30-year-old Russian is unbeaten since 2016. With all of his wins coming inside the UFC, Makhachev enters the contest against Hooker on an eight-fight winning streak. In addition, the lightweight has been far more active as of late. Recently, Makhachev defeated Drew Dober and then four months later, defeated Thiago Moises (all wins by way of submission).
Since Hooker just fought last weekend, the news comes as a big shock, but a lightweight pairing of this magnitude will answer a lot of questions surrounding Makhachev. One thing is for sure, Dan Hooker is a born fighter, so the man hailed as the next Nurmagomedov will have his hands full with a very active competitor.
Do you think Dan Hooker can beat Islam Makhachev?
