Dan Hooker’s re-experiment at featherweight is done.
In March, Hooker (21-12 MMA, 11-8 UFC) returned to 145 pounds for the first time since 2016, but was quickly stopped by the streaking Arnold Allen at UFC Fight Night 204 in London.
Although he had no issues making the weight, including a successful test cut prior to fight week, “The Hangman” thinks it’s best if he just moved back up to lightweight.
“Oh, f*ck no – I couldn’t make 145 if I wanted to,” Hooker told Submission Radio. “I felt like I could’ve stayed at 145, but obviously a lot of sacrifice goes into that. But off of the result of the last fight, and then I feel like I’m in the exact same position at both weight classes – so why not? Why would I make the extra sacrifice? The extra sacrifice was to get me back in the same position that I was in. You know what I mean? But if I’m in the exact same position (relating to the title picture), I’d rather be in the exact same position and eating and having a slice of cake every now and then.”
Hooker has lost four of his past five and two straight. He fought four times in the past 14 months, including twice in the span of a month, but will look to take some much needed time off.
“I’m just chilling,” Hooker said. “I should have a good amount of time off. I should just have a good reset. That’s one thing I realized, as well: I’ve just been kind of chasing my tail the last couple of years. I’ve just put the shovel down. I’m still in, like, shovel down mode. I’m thinking, f*ck, how do I get out of this situation? We’ll see. Maybe when the UFC comes a little bit closer (to New Zealand).”
As for who’s next, Hooker has never been one to back down from a fight and he doesn’t expect that to change any time sooner.
“It’ll be whoever it’s going to be,” Hooker said. “Obviously I have my inklings, but it’ll be like all those other situations. You run back and you look at who I’ve fought, you just look at the division and ask yourself, who don’t people want to fight? And that’s who I’ll probably end up fighting.
“Like, who’s getting turned down left, right and center? That’s who I’ll fight next. So you can take a look at the division. Ask yourself, ‘Who doesn’t anyone want to fight?’ That’s the guy. That’s why I’m not that fussed about. I can get back in the mix. I can get back in the mix in a heartbeat. You can’t count a dog like me out of the game. That’s just not how it works.”