Dan Hooker is ranked No5 in the UFC lightweight rankings. Photo / Nick Winter
Dan Hooker is ranked No5 in the UFC lightweight rankings. Photo / Nick Winter
Standing on the highest point of his mixed martial arts career to date, Kiwi UFC star Dan Hooker just wants to get back to work.
The 30-year-old lightweight has stamped out suggestions he's destined for an injury-enforced layoff after his headline fight against Paul Felder in Auckland, saying he's readyto get straight back to it.
After their five-round battle in Auckland last week, which Hooker won by split decision, the fighters were taken immediately to hospital to be examined. Felder had to be helped out of the octagon by his team after the bout and his right eye was all but closed over, while Hooker's right cheek had puffed out, suggesting a broken bone in his face.
Speaking to the Herald, Hooker said the trip to the hospital was simply precautionary and he wasn't sporting any effects of the fight that would be long-term issues.
"There was no cut on the inside, no cut on the outside; it was literally just a puffy cheek," Hooker said.
"They see you in a war, they see that many strikes going back and forth…just an x-ray on the foot, an x-ray on the leg and a check up by the doctors – it wasn't even like a serious hospital visit. It wasn't even necessary in my opinion, but you've got to do what the doctor asks."
There was plenty of discussion in the aftermath of the headline fight in the UFC's return to Auckland, with many people – including current lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov – believing Felder won the fight.
It was a back and forth battle, with both fighters having their moments, however Hooker had the better of it and controlled the action, finishing strong to earn the win.
The rising Kiwi star, who fights out of Auckland's City Kickboxing gym, said he had watched the fight back four or five times and said people will see it how they see it.
"That's just the nature of people," Hooker said.
"Fighting, it's art at the end of the day. We're martial artists and the fight is like a painting, it can mean so many things to so many different people. But you go back and score it the way fights are scored – who was the matador and who was the bull? I controlled the position, where and when we exchanged for the entirety of the fight."
Dan Hooker beat Paul Felder by split decision at UFC Fight night 168 in Auckland. Photo / Photosport
Two judges scored the fight three rounds to two in favour of Hooker, while the other scored it in favour of Felder. However, no two judges scored the fight the same round by round.
"I thought I won (rounds) 1, 2, and 3, took round 4 off and finished strong in round 5, that's the way I looked at the fight."
Hooker, now ranked at No 5 in the UFC's lightweight division, expects to get back to training as early as next week and has his sights set on what's to come.
After his past two fights, he's called out former interim champion Dustin Poirier and No 4-ranked Justin Gaethje respectively, while some have suggested Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone could be a possible opponent.
Hooker said while he wasn't sure exactly what would happen next, he had no interest in a bout against Cerrone at this point. One thing he did know, however, was how high on the card his next fight would be, and ruled out appearing on the card at UFC 251 in Perth in June.
"It's main events now, baby. You don't go backwards down the card. I don't envision myself going down the card. Perth already has a main event and a co-main event, so that's out of the question, so wherever they can slide us in. I feel like there's a lot of different places around the world that are going to want to see Poirier v Hooker, so I'll wait until I get the call. But I'm ready, I'm ready to go today.
"(I want) Gaethje or Poirier. I feel like those are the only two fights that make sense to me right now. I just asked for Gaethje because I already called Poirier out. I know how the UFC works – they can just cut the footage of the last bloody call out, you don't need two call outs. I learnt that in the lead up to the Felder fight. I called him out years ago and they used that footage, so I know full well they can go back to the Melbourne one and use the Poirier call out.
"As a prize fighter, the best thing you can do is have options and that's what I was doing; just giving myself some options."
Dan Hooker has won seven of eight fights in the UFC lightweight division. Photo / Photosport
Since making the step up to lightweight in 2017, Hooker has been a force. In eight fights in the UFC's deepest division, Hooker has seven wins – five by stoppage.
After his win over Felder, Hooker now sits at the highest point of his career to date. However, when asked if he had reflected on his where his career was now with the win over Felder in his pocket, Hooker said he felt there was still a lot of room for improvement.
"I thought I won the fight pretty comfortably from where I was sitting. I feel like I can do a lot better though. I feel like that was an average day at the office for me in that performance," Hooker said.
"In that aspect, I feel like there's nothing but progress left to happen with my career. People can say that's cockiness or I'm being a little bit more brash now, but it's confidence.
"It's not confidence I've pulled out of nowhere – that's confidence I've got from competing with and beating some of the best fighter in the world. I'm looking forwards and I'm looking up."
Dan Hooker's run in the UFC lightweight division
June 2017: beat Ross Pearson via second-round KO (knee) December 2017: beat Marc Diakiese via third-round submission (guillotine) April 2018: beat Jim Miller via first-round KO (knee) July 2018: beat Gilbert Burns via first-round KO (punches) December 2018: lost to Edson Barboza via third-round TKO (body punch) July 2019: beat James Vick via first-round KO (punch) October 2019: beat Al Iaquinta via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 30-26) February 2020: beat Paul Felder via split decision (48-47 x2, 47-48)
