Back in March at UFC London, Dan Hooker (21-12) made his return to the featherweight division. Hooker started his career with the promotion at 145 pounds, but found the most success at lightweight.
However, after a stretch that saw him go 1-3, Hooker decided it was time for a change. He made a test cut to 145 pounds and then decided that he wanted to move back to the UFC’s featherweight division.
He was immediately given a top ten contender in fighting England’s Arnold Allen. However, it was not a warm welcome back to featherweight for Hooker as Allen finished him in the first round.
After the fight was over, many were wondering what was next for the former top lightweight contender. Well, Hooker appeared on Submission Radio where he talked about his UFC future.
Hooker is going to continue to fight, however, his stop at 145 was a one-time thing. He made it clear that he’s returning to the UFC’s lightweight division.
Hooker returns to UFC’s lightweight division
Hooker said, “F**k no, I couldn’t make 145 again if I wanted to.” He would also go on to say that he’s in the same spot in both divisions so why would he want to kill himself to get back to 145.
With that, Hooker returns to the UFC weight division where he saw the most success. People are quick to forget that Hooker was only one win away from a title shot back in 2020.
He was two rounds up on Dustin Poirier before Poirier turned things around and won that fight. So, who will the UFC pair Hooker with now that he’s returning to 155 pounds.
There are a couple of directions I think the promotion could go. One, they could give him a guy like Bobby Green who would give him a helluva fight and it’s a fight that makes sense for both men.
Or they could give him someone around him in the rankings like Diego Ferreira. Either way, I think it’s the best thing for Hooker that he’s returning to 155 and I’m looking forward to his next fight.