Dan Hooker slams UFC for cancelling his tickets, refuses to fight on Perth card: "I would've fought injured"

Dan Hooker recently opened up about turning down the UFC’s offer to compete on the upcoming Perth card. Hooker said he felt disrespected after the MMA organization canceled his tickets to a pay-per-view event, despite him having always given his all for the company.

For context, last month Dan Hooker traveled to Las Vegas to support his City Kickboxing teammate Kai Kara-France in his flyweight title bid against Alexandre Pantoja in the co-main event of UFC 317. However, before the event, the UFC canceled Hooker's tickets after he missed certain promotional activities, including an early morning Q&A session with a YouTuber. As a result, he ended up attending rapper Moneybagg Yo’s concert at Drai’s Nightclub in Las Vegas.

During a recent interview with Submission Radio, Hooker discussed potentially fighting at UFC Perth on Sept. 28 at RAC Arena:

''Obviously, it would have been cool to fight in Perth and to like headline with Arman [Tsarukyan]...It would have been a bit soon, would have been a bit of a rush for the hand to be good and ready by then but I still was going to do it just because I wanted to do it for the fans. I would have rushed back and I would have fought early.''

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

Hooker continued by expressing his displeasure with the UFC:

''Then I went over to watch Kai [Kara-France] fight and then bro they tried to get me off of bed at 7:30 in the morning...And then because I didn't start, I slept in and I didn't go to the UFC thing, they cancelled my tickets to the Kai's fight...I would have fought, I would have fought injured. But then someone at a desk is crossing my name off a list...you obviously wanted me to fight in Perth, but we can fight on my terms.''

Check out Dan Hooker's comments below (7:50):

Dan Hooker wants to make his comeback against a former UFC champion

Dan Hooker was looking to improve his win streak to four fights earlier this year against Justin Gaethje at UFC 313. However, he injured his hand during a sparring session, prompting Rafael Fiziev to step up on short notice and face Gaethje in a rematch.

Hooker now aims to make his octagon return against former lightweight kingpin Charles Oliveira, who suffered a devastating opening-round knockout defeat against Ilia Topuria at UFC 317. 'The Hangman' recently took to X and wrote:

''Someone wake up Charlie Olives and tell him we fighting in November.''

About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

Know More

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena