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During a recent interview, Dan Hooker was asked whether he felt any regret after taking on Islam Makhachev on short-notice. According to 'The Hangman', that isn't the case.
The New Zealand-native stepped up to the plate to face Islam Makhachev after Rafael dos Anjos was forced to withdraw from the fight due to injury. Makhachev made short work of 'The Hangman' with a vicious kimura, two-minutes into the first round.
While talking to MMA Junkie, Dan Hooker was asked if he wished he never signed to fight the Russian without a full training camp, to which he said:
"Nah, nah. Definitely no regrets there. It's just how the game goes. It can go so many ways. It's the sport of risk, risk-reward. And the reward was definitely warranted in the risk for that fight."
Hooker then continued, stating that an impressive performance in that fight would have been enough to earn him a shot at Charles Oliveira.
"Like, you win that fight, you're immediately in title contention, and that's like the ultimate of what you're trying to achieve."
Hooker is always ready to entertain when he steps foot inside the octagon. The New Zealander has collected three Performance of the Night and two Fight of the Night awards since joining the UFC.
The former 155er is known for taking the biggest fights possible and the combined record of his last four opponents stands at an incredible 79-15.
Watch Hooker's interview with MMA Junkie below:
Dan Hooker's push for the featherweight title
Following his loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 267 last year, Hooker decided to drop to the 145lbs division in pursuit of his dream of capturing UFC gold.
Interestingly, the Kiwi will be welcomed to the featherweight division by England's own Arnold Allen.
The well-rounded Englishman holds a 17-1 record and aims to put on a show against the 32-year-old. The pair are set to serve as the co-main event at UFC London next month.
The event will be headlined by Tom Aspinall, who looks to stand out in front of a home crowd as he faces the towering Alexander Volkov.
