Dan Hooker’s featherweight days are formally over.
“The Hangman” revealed to Submission Radio that he’s returning to the UFC’s light-weight division after a quick stint again on the 145-pound division. Hooker took on Arnold Allen at UFC London in March and was completed within the first spherical. When requested if he would give strive once more at featherweight, Hooker didn’t hesitate to point out his lack of curiosity.
“Oh, f*** no, I couldn’t make featherweight if I wished to,” Hooker mentioned. “I’m nearer to middleweight than I’m to featherweight.
“I felt like I might’ve stayed at 145, however clearly quite a lot of sacrifice goes into that. However off of the results of the final struggle, I really feel like I’m in the very same place at each weight courses. So why not? Why would I make the additional sacrifice? The additional sacrifice was to get me again in the identical place that I used to be in. But when I’m in the very same place [as I’m in at lightweight], I’d moderately be in the very same place and consuming, and having a slice of cake now and again.”
“Put a fork in it, bud, I’m out of the dialog [at featherweight].”
Hooker mentioned that he made the choice after taking a while off to get better from his loss to Arnold and realized that he placed on a number of extra kilos than anticipated.
So far as a timetable goes for his subsequent bout, Hooker is enjoying it by ear. The 32-year-old is in dire want of a victory having been stopped in two straight, and struggling defeats in 4 of 5 most up-to-date appearances.
However ever the gamer, Hooker is at all times right down to face the fighters in his division that no one else appears to need to share the octagon with.
“I’m simply chilling. I ought to have a great period of time off, I ought to simply have a great reset,” Hooker defined. “That’s one factor I spotted as effectively: I’ve simply been type of chasing my tail the final couple of years. I’ve simply put the shovel down. I’m nonetheless in like shovel down mode. I’m considering, f***, how do I get out of this example? We’ll see, perhaps when the UFC comes a bit of bit nearer [in location to me].”
“It’ll be [against] whoever it’s going to be. Clearly, I’ve my inklings, nevertheless it’ll be like all these different conditions. You run again and also you have a look at who I’ve fought, you simply have a look at the division and ask your self, ‘Who don’t folks need to struggle?’ That’s who I’ll most likely find yourself combating. Who’s getting turned down left proper and heart? That’s who I’ll struggle subsequent. So, you’ll be able to check out the division, ask your self who doesn’t anybody need to struggle, that’s the man.
“I can get again within the combine, I can get again within the combine in a heartbeat. You possibly can’t rely a canine like me out of the sport. That’s simply not the way it works.”
