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Dan Hooker has asserted that he would ‘do anything’ for a life-changing fight with Conor McGregor.
Hooker is one of the top UFC lightweights today and is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Dustin Poirier, whom he fought in June 2020. On the other hand, Conor McGregor’s last fight was a first-round TKO victory over Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone in January 2020.
Speaking to SCMP MMA, Dan Hooker noted that the opportunity to potentially face Conor McGregor, if Dustin Poirier pulls out from the McGregor fight at UFC 257, is a big reason he accepted the UFC 257 bout against Michael Chandler.
“Like we’re definitely on that card to back up that fight (Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier), you know what I mean? Like it’s a funny circumstance at the moment; people come from different parts of the world, traveling. I know like Dustin trains in Florida. That’s like the Wild West for COVID, from what you read online. The UFC need to have a backup for this fight; like that’s what we’re here for.”
“I’d be lying if I’m saying that’s not a big reason why I jumped at the opportunity to not only fight Michael Chandler, but to be on this card. And to have that possibility of well…That’s the McGregor roulette, baby. You’re gonna have a chance at winning the McGregor roulette. He’s not lying when he says that ‘get the red panties out’ because it’s gonna change your life. As a fighter, like, you’ll do anything for that fight. You’ll jump on any opportunity.”
Dan Hooker noted that one of the two ways that a fighter can earn a big payday in MMA is to either fight for a UFC world title or fight Conor McGregor.
Apart from the Conor McGregor fight, Dan Hooker also addressed the Michael Chandler matchup
Dan Hooker faces Michael Chandler in the co-main event of UFC 257. The Hangman suggested that he’s a bad stylistic matchup for former Bellator lightweight champion and new UFC signee Chandler.
“Yeah, like they’re gonna give me the new toy, I’m gonna break the new toy real quick. They invested like a whole lot of money to get this guy out of his contract and get him over to the UFC, and they’re gonna throw him in with me who’s like a bad stylistic matchup. And I’m gonna like break the toy in five minutes. Like yeah, I can’t say I feel sorry for them.” (*H/T Sportskeeda for the transcription)
UFC 257 will take place on January 23rd, 2021, and be headlined by a lightweight bout between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.
