Dan Hooker sees UFC 290 fight vs. Jalin Turner as opportunity to get back in mix of elite lightweights

LAS VEGAS – Dan Hooker showed up to UFC 290 media day on Wednesday morning admittedly still needing his coffee to kick in. If it didn’t, he’s sure to receive a jolt in the form of his fight with Jalin Turner.

This, the New Zealander knows.

Hooker (22-12 MMA, 12-8 UFC), No. 12 in the latest UFC lightweight rankings, takes on No. 11 Turner (13-6 MMA, 6-3 UFC) in a key matchup for both men at 155 pounds on the pay-per-view main card at T-Mobile Arena.

“It’s definitely gonna be an entertaining fight,” Hooker said. “I think that’s a fact.”

Hooker certainly carries a reputation as an action fighter, but he doesn’t want that to necessarily overshadow his aspirations of becoming UFC champion. That’s why this fight is so important to him.

Hooker, 33, hasn’t strung together consecutive victories since a three-fight winning streak from 2019 to early 2020, but he has the opportunity Saturday as he’s coming off a second-round TKO of Claudio Puelles last November at UFC 281. Hooker is 2-4 in his past six fights, with losses to only the cream of the crop in lightweight contenders Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler, current lightweight champ Islam Makhachev, as well as contender Arnold Allen in a failed attempt to get something going at featherweight.

The way Hooker sees it, Turner presents “an opportunity to put (himself) back in the mix.”

“That’s why I’m fighting Jalin Turner,” Hooker said. “That’s why I’m fighting a guy that’s gonna get me back in the top 10. I’m not fighting him for fun or for money. There are plenty other guys on the roster I could be doing that for. I’m fighting Jalin Turner, a very talented kid, to get myself back in that conversation. A win over Jalin, especially an impressive performance, I think it does that.”

If victorious, Hooker likely would move into the top 10 of the UFC lightweight rankings and from there, who knows? That could be the jumpstart Hooker needs to reach the top – a path he seemed to be on once before in his career.

“Man, I want to be the champ,” Hooker said. “That’s the only reason I’m here.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 290.