No. 8 ranked UFC lightweight contender Dan Hooker is looking to get back in the win column at UFC 266 when he takes on lightweight upstart Nasrat Haqparast.
Hooker is currently on a two-fight skid.
The 31-year-old New Zealander lost a unanimous decision to no. 1 contender Dustin Poirier in June 2020. Most recently, he suffered a TKO loss to no. 4 ranked contender Michael Chandler in the co-main event of UFC 257 earlier this year in January.
Some fighters may put pressure on themselves to perform with their back against the wall pondering the possibility of a three fight losing streak.
However, it appears Hooker has not lost any confidence and is putting a lot of stock behind how often he is training.
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“I feel like I’ve been in the gym constantly, I’ve been training constantly. I’ve been out there running through the fight week, competing. So, I feel like it’s still fresh to me,” Hooker said to Submission Radio. “I feel like if anything, over the last year, year and a half, when I have not had good results in the cage, I have been having some big improvements in my skill set. And to me, that’s more important than the actual results of the fight, is making sure that I’m developing as a fighter, or everything’s progressing and coming together as a fighter. And to me that’s my major priority.
“I would rather have the skills and not the results, than the other way around, my skills and everything’s declining but I’m getting good results. That’s not good long-term. Because I feel like I have so much time left and I’m just kind of coming into my peak now. So, I’m coming into this fight very confident. Very confident in my skill and ability.”
While Hooker is on a losing streak, both losses were at the hands of top five competition and the City Kickboxing product remains self-assured heading into his fight with Haqparast at UFC 266.
Dan Hooker on his mindset coming off two losses straight