Getty Dan Hooker
UFC notable Dan Hooker suffered a tough loss in his return to the featherweight division, and now he’s decided to move back up to lightweight.
“The Hangman” dropped down to 145 pounds for the first time since 2016 when he took on Arnold Allen at UFC Fight Night 204 in March. Hooker was looking to insert himself as a featherweight top contender following a recent 1-3 run at lightweight.
Things didn’t go Hooker’s way, however, as Allen spoiled the Kiwi’s divisional comeback. He finished The Hangman in less than three minutes via TKO.
Well, Hooker doesn’t see the value of returning to featherweight after the defeat, telling Submission Radio recently that he’s around the same place in both divisions from a rankings standpoint. Also, the lifestyle Hooker has to lead to compete at 145 pounds isn’t worth it to him at this point in his career.
So, fight fans can expect to see The Hangman back at 155 pounds next time he battles inside the Octagon.
“Had a couple of weeks off and then stepped on a scale and I was just like ohhhh sheesh, we ain’t going back,” Hooker said via MMA Mania. “I’m closer to middleweight than I am to featherweight. I felt like I could’ve stayed at 145, but obviously a lot of sacrifice goes into that.
“Why would I make the extra sacrifice? If I’m in the exact same position, I’d rather be in the exact same position and eating and having a slice of cake every now and then. Put a fork in it, bud, I’m out of the [featherweight] conversation.”
Hooker Isn’t Rushing Back to the Cage
The Hangman is 2-4 in his last six UFC outings, which includes three stoppage defeats. All of his losses have come by ranked opponents at either lightweight or featherweight, and Hooker is planning to take some time to “reset” before he chases the 155-pound title again.
“I’m just chilling,” Hooker said. “I should have a good amount of time off. I should just have a good reset. Like, 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***, how do I get out of this situation.
“We’ll see. Maybe when the UFC comes a little bit closer. 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. Like, that’s just not how it works.”
Hooker Has Fought Several Elite Mixed Martial Artists
Hooker has a professional mixed martial arts record of 21-2, which includes 10 victories via KO/TKO and seven by submission. He’s been locked inside a cage with some of the best at 155 and 145 pounds, including Dustin Poirier, Islam Makhachev, Yair Rodriguez, Michael Chandler and Paul Felder.
The Hangman holds notable victories over the likes of Felder, Gilbert Burns, Al Iaquinta, Jim Miller and Ross Pearson.
Although he’s in this slump, Hooker is still ranked No. 13 at lightweight, as per the UFC’s official rankings.