It has been an extended journey filled with ups and downs for Dan Hooker to work his again into the highest 5 of the light-weight division.
After defeating Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305, he’s using a three-fight profitable streak which has seen him bounce again from consecutive losses.
Hooker, at one stage, had only one win in his final 5 Octagon outings and that got here after he made it into the highest 5 for the primary time in his profession. And in his opinion, that skid was brought on by just a few essential errors he made.
He has realized rather a lot on this four-year-period and is now assured that he received’t make the identical errors that he did final time.
Dan Hooker Says That Combating Michael Chandler At UFC 257 Was A Mistake On His Half
Hooker is now seemingly on the verge of what may very well be a title eliminator towards the likes of Charles Oliveira or Justin Gaethje.
Although he took large fights towards Dustin Poirier and the debuting Michael Chandler the final time he was on this place, he believes that the latter specifically was a mistake.
“Iron” Mike would hit the bottom operating within the promotion by stopping the Kiwi fighter within the opening spherical in Abu Dhabi.
Hooker didn’t have to threat his rating towards a brand new arrival like Chandler, even when competing within the co-main occasion of a Conor McGregor card was a giant alternative for him.
The main difficulty with taking this struggle is that it came about through the COVID-19 pandemic the place New Zealand had very strict laws, which compromised his preparations.
Having admitted in an interview with ESPN Australia that he has an entire new stage of respect for the staff round him, Hooker stated that he has realized from the missteps that he has made in his profession and isn’t going to waste this chance.
“I form of have learnt that from my first rodeo, is to simply form of not do something dumb this time round. I imply the final time I used to be quantity 5, I agreed to struggle Michael Chandler. Gave Michael Chandler a shot, it was his first struggle within the UFC, I flew to Abu Dhabi so different facet of the world with completely no coaches and went and fought him with a man I’d been coaching for six months in my nook. so it was not the neatest of selections so I assume this time round, I’m simply not gonna do something dumb or promote my title shot once more.”
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