Dan Hooker Making The Move Back To UFC’s Lightweight Division

Dan Hooker is headed back to the lightweight division. 

Hooker, who fell to Arnold Allen at featherweight this past March, is looking to get back in a groove. 

He appeared on a recent episode of Submission Radio.

“Yeah, nah like, I felt like I could’ve stayed at 145, but obviously a lot of sacrifice goes into that. But off of the result of the last fight, and then I feel like I’m in the exact same position at both weight classes,” Hooker said. “So why not? Why would I make the extra sacrifice? The extra sacrifice was to get me back in the same position that I was in. You know what I mean? But if I’m in the exact same position [relating to the title picture], I’d rather be in the exact same position and eating and having a slice of cake every now and then.

“Put a fork in it, bud, I’m out of the conversation [at featherweight].”

Hooker has dropped four of his last five, with the losses coming to top contenders Allen, Islam Makhachev, Michael Chandler and Dustin Poirier. 

“I’m just chilling. I should have a good amount of time off. I should just have a good reset. Like, that’s one thing I realized as well, I’ve just been kind of chasing my tail the last couple of years. I’ve just put the shovel down. I’m still in like shovel down mode. I’m thinking, fuck, how do I get out of this situation. We’ll see. Maybe when the UFC comes a little bit closer.

“it’ll be whoever it’s gonna be. Obviously I have my inklings, but it’ll be like all those other situations. you run back and you look at who I’ve fought, you just look at the division and ask yourself, who don’t people want to fight? And that’s who I’ll probably end up fighting. Like, who’s getting turned down left right and center?

“That’s who I’ll fight next. So, you can take a look at the division, ask yourself who doesn’t anyone want to fight. Like, that’s the guy. That’s why I’m not that fussed about. I can get back in the mix, I can get back in the mix in a heartbeat. You can’t count a dog like me out of the game. Like, that’s just not how it works.”