If you’ve ever wondered what kind of a fighter Dan Hooker is, you just have to look at his post-fight interview after UFC 290. Standing with Joe Rogan, blood-soaked after a war with Jalin Turner, the New Zealand native was asked if he suffered a broken arm in the fight. His response? With a smile, he fired back with, “Just a scratch”, and later shared an X-ray of the fracture on his social media account.
But this time, he’s taken things to a whole new level. With just days left before his underground ‘King of the Streets’ event, the UFC star ditched traditional last-minute ticket sales in favor of something a little more adventurous. Fans scrolling through his Instagram were met with a strange sight recently. The veteran 155-pounder was standing in a field, decked out in grey sweats, teasing what might be the most bizarre ticket giveaway in fight history.
The broken arm mentioned above? That also comes into play! In the video, Hooker starts off by announcing, “There are only four tickets available to this Saturday’s fights. How you win two of them is tag who you’re bringing in the comments, but make sure you’re following the Doctor as he’s the one that’s gonna be picking the winner.”
‘The Doctor’ quoted is Ashtin James, a social media star who boasts 258K followers on Instagram and is reportedly the man helping Hooker put on the event. Then came the real twist. ‘The Hangman’ pulled out a small plastic container, which contained the metal plate once placed in his arm. Was it the one from the Turner fight’s aftermath? It’s hard to say.
Nevertheless, he continued by revealing, “The second I have here is the plate that the doctor removed from my arm. It also has the address to this Saturday’s fight and will serve as the last two tickets. I am gonna hide it somewhere around here. First one first one to find it. I’ll see you on Saturday.”
While the promo may feel like a scene out of a Guy Ritchie film, many critics aren’t laughing. The ‘King of the Streets’ event has been called “straight-out thuggery” by New Zealand’s Boxing Coaches Association president, Billy Meehan. His biggest concern? The lack of rules. No weight classes. No sanctioning. And no medical checks. Just one-minute scraps with 4oz MMA gloves, and $50,000 on the line.
According to a report by The New Zealand Herald, Meehan was quoted as stating, “What you’ve got there is just thugs getting in there and going out and they’re just like absolutely smashing each other and we’re going to see somebody get seriously hurt, if not killed.”
Hooker and fellow UFC star Israel Adesanya, however, have been all-in since day one. In another video shared on Hooker’s social media account, Adesanya stated, “Bring the family, bring the whānau, bring everyone, come watch, you’ll get knocked out or knock someone the f— out.”
Yet, despite all the controversy, there’s a familiar rhythm playing out. The story may not be the same, but the UFC and Dana White had to go through something similar back in the origins of the promotion!
Dan Hooker’s ‘King of The Streets’ event faces the same hurdles as early-UFC
When U.S. Senator John McCain watched his first UFC fight, he was immediately appalled. A man sat atop his opponent, punching away, no referee, no rules. McCain didn’t mince words. “That’s not a sport,” he said years later. “That’s a throwback to the Roman Colosseum.” McCain was responsible for calling MMA “human cockfighting” in 1996 in a letter to all 50 state governors. The result? Cable companies pulled the plug. Revenue vanished. The UFC teetered on the edge.
Yet, as former UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta stated in a past interview, “If it wasn’t for Senator McCain forcing the issue of regulation in MMA, the sport wouldn’t exist and flourish as it does today.” Now, decades later, Dan Hooker might be facing his own “McCain moment.”
As mentioned above, his ‘King of the Streets’ tournament is coming under the same scrutiny as the UFC did in its early days. Billy Meehan, the man leading the charge, has stated, “Somebody’s going to get hurt. They’re actually saying to both sides to go just go out there and smash.”
And then there’s reportedly the lack of transparency. According to Meehan, Hooker’s event is not even authorized under New Zealand’s Wrestling and Boxing Act. Which raises the question, just like John McCain’s push shaped the UFC, could Meehan’s outrage steer Hooker’s street scraps toward something more sustainable? Why or why not? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
The post Dan Hooker Announces Treasure Hunt to Find Last Tickets Available for Controversial ‘King of the Streets’ Event appeared first on EssentiallySports.
