Dan Hooker flattens veteran lightweight Jim Miller. Photo / Getty Images
Heading into his UFC bout in Atlantic City last weekend, Dan Hooker knew he would be asking for a ranked opponent if he won.
Only he didn't expect to be calling out the man holding the microphone.
The Kiwi scored an impressive knockout win over veteran lightweight Jim Miller.
Hooker went into the bout seeing it as an opportunity to test himself, given Miller had been with the company for the past decade.
He did just that.
"That shows that I belong with the elite tier of the competition," Hooker told the Herald on Sunday.
"Jim's been hanging around there for the past 10 years ... he has fought the best the division has to offer, and no one's ever taken him out like that."
With his sights set on a fight against a ranked opponent, it just so happened that his post-win interview was conducted by Paul Felder — the No14 ranked lightweight in the UFC.
Not only was Felder a ranked fighter, but at the time he was also a fighter without an opponent, and Hooker took his opportunity — looking Felder in the eyes and asking for a fight.
"He set me up perfect when he asked who I wanted next, and I always said I wanted a ranked guy. He's ranked, and I'd rather deal with it face to face.
"Face to face, you're going to get your response pretty quick ... if he's disrespectful to my face, I can handle it then and there. But if someone's disrespectful to you on the internet, you can't really handle it then and there.
"That, again, puts the rest of the top 15 on notice. I haven't heard any of them sing my name, so I have to go looking for them."
The lightweight division is the deepest in the UFC, with names such as Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz and Al Iaquinta among the top-10 ranked fighters.
Felder was happy to accept the challenge from Hooker but if the two are to meet in the octagon, Hooker will have to wait as the UFC match-makers already had a bout for Felder in the works.
However, Hooker will likely get his wish as the matchmakers let him know they were also thinking it was time to give him someone in the top 15. Hooker suggested if not Felder, then No.13 ranked Alexander Hernandez - who has just one UFC bout to his name.
The Kiwi felt he sent a message to the division by decimating Miller, and was ready and waiting for whoever came next.
"Anyone in the top 15 is tough, but I want their spot. If I have to beat them all, I have to beat them all," the Aucklander said.
"I'll take them one at a time ... I just want to get in there and test myself."
'They know how to make a champion. That comes from the culture to begin with.'