Athletes
Dan Hooker Is Chasing Perfection
Kiwi Fan Favorite Returns To Featherweight At UFC FIght Night: Volkov vs Aspinall
Your average fighter is more likely to move up a division as they mature and the weight cuts become trickier, but New Zealand’s Dan Hooker isn’t your average fighter. For his bout with Englishman Arnold Allen at UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs Aspinall, the 32-year-old will drop from 155 to 145 pounds, while expecting even more of himself in the Octagon.
“The UFC doesn’t like you bouncing around weight divisions, so I plan on staying down here for the foreseeable future,” says Hooker. “I’m using [the cut] as a weapon. I have to be more dialled in and switched on. Everything I eat needs to be considered. I’m excited – I feel like it’s added to me. I’ve been focused for a complete nine weeks and it’s a level of focus I didn’t have at lightweight.”
Watch UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs Aspinall On ESPN+
Back at the City Kickboxing gym in Auckland, Hooker is known for his mental strength and work ethic, so staying away from extra calories was never going to be an issue. However, he didn’t make the return to featherweight (after six years) any easier by requesting he be given a tough opponent. Allen – 17-1 and on an 8-0 run in the UFC – is exactly that.
Nevertheless, Hooker believes there are a few things on his side.
“I’m massive,” he laughs, clarifying, “I’m pretty big for a featherweight. My size is an advantage. My skill set is an advantage. My experience in the Octagon is an advantage. It’s hard for somebody to plan to fight me. Very few fighters change their style in the Octagon like I do. You don’t know if I’ll come out and wrestle, strike, fight southpaw, fight orthodox, fight long, pressure forward...”
At the same time, “The Hangman” – whose crowd-pleasing bouts have earned him three Performance of the Night bonuses and two Fight of the Night bonuses – isn’t looking past his English opponent.
“Allen’s a very good fighter, without a doubt. I feel like he’s incredibly well-rounded. I see some similarities between us – he likes to fight long but can trade in the pocket, is a good southpaw but has good offensive wrestling and top position. I have a lot of respect for his ability.”
MORE UFC FIGHT NIGHT: Fighters On The Rise | Fight By Fight Preview
One thing Hooker won’t have on his side is the sure to be vocal crowd at London’s O2 Arena.
However, he notes that being the hometown fighter may prove both a blessing and a curse for Allen.
“I’ve been in that position. It has motivating factors, but it also adds a lot of pressure. You’ve got a sold-out stadium with all of your friends and family there behind you. That definitely adds pressure.” He adds, jokingly, “We’ve got the same Queen, so I’m not expecting to get booed too hard.”
The New Zealander doesn’t worry about scorecards away from home, either: “It’s between me and the other man. [In the end,] he knows who won, and I know who won. I never care about judges.”
So, what would he say to that other man if they were standing next to each other right now?
“Good luck!” Hooker laughs. “He hasn’t said a bad thing. It’s a difficult fight, because he’s a nice guy. I enjoy s**t-talkers as much as the next person, but he seems like a stand-up bloke, so I’d shake his hand and wish him luck for the contest.”
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Typical of fighters from the City Kickboxing stable, Hooker never expects to end a fight in a certain way, believing instead that a finish is the result of doing everything correctly and systematically breaking down his opponent.
“If I’m putting on that master class performance, then I’m confident that the finish will come. Finishes aren’t something you chase. You get yourself in trouble when you start chasing them.”
He continues, “I want this to be a perfect performance. It’s what keeps me in the gym, keeps me accepting fights. It’s why I want to fight the best guys in the world. It’s the same as with golf, where the ultimate goal is to get a hole-in-one on every hole. That’s the ultimate goal: perfection. That’s what I’m chasing in the Octagon.”
UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs Aspinall took place on Saturday, March 19, 2022, live from a sold out O2 Arena in London. See Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses at #UFCLondon.
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