Dan Hooker needs to make a statement this weekend. Heading into the Octagon at UFC 281 on Saturday, Hooker will have a 1-4 record in his last five fights. Set to face a young, dangerous leglock specialist in his opponent Claudio Puelles, Hooker pointed out at the pre-fight media day that he needs to prove that he belongs among the 155-pound elite.
Hooker, in fairness, conceded to some of the most dangerous opponents in the division, including now-champion Islam Makhachev. He claims that these learning experiences have helped shape him into a better fighter.
Dan Hooker Will Prove That He Belongs Among Lightweight Elite
“I definitely feel like I learned from all of those things. These are not mistakes. These are holes in my game that have been there the whole time, but they’ve been covered up by incredible coaching and incredible preparation being surrounded by the best team in the world.
So when you take that away, these are like flaws in my game that were shown. So now to have processed those kind of things, fixed those holes, improved myself as a fighter and a martial artist and then to re-introduce incredible coaching, to re-introduce phenomenal preparation back into it, and I feel so much better as a fighter because of those challenging circumstances.”
Hooker knows that questions are being raised about his abilities as a fighter. Is he past his prime? Does he still belong in the UFC? Is it time for “The Hangman” to hang up his gloves? Facing an exciting young fighter on a winning streak is exactly the kind of tough test that Hooker wants to prove his mettle.
“This is the perfect fight, this is the right fight. After a couple of losses, questions start to get asked by people: Does he belong here? Does he belong there? So I’m happy to answer them. This is a young, hungry kid on a good streak, a lot of finishes.
This is a good test to prove where I belong in the division, to prove that I stand my ground. These are the guys I should be competing against, so I’m more than happy to take on Claudio.”
The fight looks to be a classic striking vs grappling matchup. Hooker, recently fared poorly against elite grapplers, most notably succumbing to a first-round submission against Islam Makhachev. He will look to snap his losing streak and reestablish his reputation this weekend.
Do you think Dan Hooker can reassert his place among the top lightweights in the UFC? Let us know in the comments.
