Hooker Returning To Lightweight

Longtime lightweight veteran Dan Hooker was stuck in a rut at 155 pounds and hoping a return to the featherweight division could help get “The Hangman” back into the UFC title chase. Unfortunately, “Almighty” Arnold Allen ended that experiment with a first-round technical knockout finish at UFC London back in March.

So what’s next for the 32 year-old Aucklander?

“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 told Submission Radio. “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 (21-12) is currently ranked No. 13 at 155 pounds after dropping four of his last five and would likely need a big victory over a Top 10 opponent to blast his way back into title contention. That said, “The Hangman” doesn’t appear to be in any big hurry to return.

“I’m just chilling,” Hooker continued. “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, fuck, 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.”