Hooker Bored By Pool-Pooping Makhachev

UFC lightweight contender Islam Makhachev improved his record to 20-1 by winning his eighth straight fight last weekend, submitting Brazilian bruiser Thiago Moises in the UFC Vegas 31 headliner on ESPN from inside APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Dan Hooker, ranked one spot above Makhachev at No. 8, was not impressed.

“I kind of got bored watching his main event in fast forward so I couldn’t imagine watching the damn thing live in my hometown,” Hooker told Submission Radio. “I think there would have been a bloody riot after the fight. You see scrolling [online] and seeing like build-up videos of him saying everyone’s scared, everyone’s scared to fight him, oh, the whole division’s shook. Bro, you’re just copying your mate’s homework. Give your mate’s homework back and come up with something for yourself, son.”

Makhachev, 29, is expected to carry the torch passed by former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, who retired from competition back in late 2020. But Hooker doesn’t believe Makhachev — who was stopped by Adriano Martins back in late 2015 — will soar as high as “The Eagle” based on what we’ve seen thus far.

“He’s on a good streak at the moment, but I believe he’s been knocked out in the UFC before,” Hooker continued. “So then him copying Khabib’s homework and saying all this wild stuff when you’ve been laid flat in the Octagon, it doesn’t really have the same ring to it as an undefeated fighter. Like, it’s just a bunch of banter to me. But if you dish it out, you better be able to take it. So, his reason (for not fighting me is) that I’m like three losses in my last six fights. And then in the same breath he calls out Tony Ferguson, who’s lost three in a row, so that makes about as much sense as shitting in a swimming pool.”

Hooker, 31, fell to 20-10 after dropping back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler. At the time of this writing, the New Zealander remains unbooked but is hoping to get back inside the cage before year’s end.

Just don’t expect him to be sacred of Makhachev.

“He just beat No. 15, and then guys in the top five are supposed to be howling his name and taking the fight?” Hooker said. “I think Dominick Cruz said it. He’s like, ‘What, so everyone else that is ranked lower than me, and calls me out, I’m a pussy for turning down the fight?’ He’s like, ‘Well then, I’m a pussy every day of the week.’ I truly believe like no one in that top 15 is afraid to fight anyone else in the top 15. It just doesn’t make sense. Everyone is afraid of someone? You watch them get the belt, and then no one turns a fight down. Everyone’s positioning themselves to be champion, and that’s just what it is.”

For more on Makhachev’s win at UFC Vegas 31 click here.