Dan Hooker scored himself a key win at UFC 290 when he topped Jalin Turner via split decision. The event saw both Alexander Volkanovski unify the featherweight titles and Dricus du Plessis secure himself a No. 1 contender role to Israel Adesanya at middleweight. Both of these things and more were discussed when Hooker joined Submission Radio.
Dan Hooker Targets Big Fight At UFC Auckland In 2024
If the UFC heads to Auckland, New Zealand next year, Dan Hooker wants to be part of it.
Hooker was a guest on Submission Radio and talked about scoring a main event fight at the possible event.
“I heard 2024 they’re coming back to New Zealand, back to Auckland. So, if I could drag that back to New Zealand, back to Auckland and get like a big name fight, that would be cool,” Hooker said. “That would be cool next. Yeah, like something big, something big. But, I think I’ve only got… that next one, that’s the last fight of my contract. So yeah, it’s time to sit down with the boys at the UFC and get something big next and get another contract underway.
“Yeah, it would need a big fight, because the stress of that is incredible. Especially coming off the performances like that. That’s three fights in Auckland. Fought on every single card. And they were all big wins.
“You know, first-round TKO, then the Pearson knockout, and then the absolute war with Paul Felder. So, that’s three incredible performances. So, I feel like the expectations for coming back to Auckland are enormous. So, it’s like, you need a dance partner that warranted that excitement.
“I feel like you’d need a dance partner where it’s either one of those guys that’s like super exciting that the fans are just like, man, this is gonna deliver a hundred percent.
“Or you need an opponent that’s gonna tickle the fans’ balls. You know what I mean? Be like, ‘ooh, I don’t know if he could beat that guy’. You know what I mean? Like, it needs to be a big, exciting fight.
“If we’re gonna pack out… oh, I think we easily pack out the arena in New Zealand. I think that’s a sellout. That’s hands down a sellout.”
At UFC 290, Hooker bested Jalin Turner via split decision, moving to 23-12 overall. The Auckland native has won back-to-back fights and is positioned well in the UFC’s rankings.
He has consistently been a staple in fight-night bonuses, racking up three “Performance of the Night” honors and two more “Fight of the Night” awards.
Dan Hooker On Submission Radio
