On the main card of UFC 305, we saw a big time matchup in the lightweight division. “The Hangman” Dan Hooker (24-12) was looking to keep his current run going and make a big jump in the rankings as he took on fifth ranked Mateusz Gamrot (24-3, 1 NC).
A big thing with this fight was going to be the wrestling. Of course, Gamrot is one of the best wrestlers in the division while Hooker is one of the better strikers. In the first round, Hooker proved to be very tough to takedown, but Gamrot was able to drop Hooker on the feet. It looked like Gamrot was in a good spot and then the tables turned.
Hooker then rocked Gamrot badly on the feet and started walking him down. The first round ended and it could’ve gone either way. In the second round, Gamrot was able to land a takedown and get some control, but Hooker got back up and dominated the striking. Another close round.
The third round was the easiest to score. Hooker pressed forward the entire round and landed the better shots. In the end, it was a great fight and it was Dan Hooker who walked away with the split decision win at UFC 305.
What’s next after UFC 305?
This has been quite the run for Dan Hooker. After going 1-4 in a five-fight stretch, Hooker has now won three fights in a row and he truly looks better than ever. This massive win jumped Hooker all the way to fifth in the rankings with a ton of exciting matchups ahead of him.
We know that Arman Tsarukyan is getting the next shot at the champion, but in my opinion, any of the three opponents in front of Hooker in the rankings make a ton of sense. Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje, and Dustin Poirier are all there for Hooker. Poirier and Hooker have already fought in an instant classic.
Hooker against either Oliveira or Gaethje just screams pure violence. It’s not complicated here, the UFC is going to go with one of those three for his next fight. If I was to take a guess, I’d say Justin Gaethje is the opponent they land on.