Dan Hooker was all set to show up at UFC 317 to back his City Kickboxing teammate, Kai Kara-France, in his first title defense against Alexandre Pantoja. But things didn’t go as planned. ‘The Hangman’ never made it to the event, because the UFC canceled his tickets. The reason? In his chat with Submission Radio, Hooker revealed, “They tried to get me off the bed at 7:30 in the morning. The UFC booked me for some s—. Which is 3:00 a.m. New Zealand time.” Apparently, his refusal didn’t sit well with the UFC brass.
Hooker has always been a major draw whenever the promotion heads to the land Down Under. His last outing was against Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305 in Perth, and the UFC had him in their sights again. Likely as the main event for UFC Fight Night Perth on September 28. But this time, ‘The Hangman’ seemed to flip the script. Instead of jumping at the opportunity, he chose to send a message with his own form of payback.
Dan Hooker has been dealing with a broken arm ever since his gritty battle with Jalin Turner at UFC 290. It only worsened during his clash with Gamrot, but ‘The Hangman’ was still ready to make a comeback after his fight with Justin Gaethje at UFC 313 fell through. However, things took a turn when the UFC canceled his tickets to Kai Kara-France’s title fight. Something Hooker pointed to as the reason he’s not fighting on the upcoming Perth card.
In his Submission Radio interview, he added, “I didn’t go to the UFC thing because they canceled my tickets to Kai’s fight. So, I’m gonna rush back and fight injured for the company that cancels my tickets to the event when I’ve travelled all the way to Las Vegas.” Not just that, Hooker also feels the UFC hasn’t shown him the respect he deserves after all the wars he’s been in.
MMA: UFC Fight Night-Allen vs Hooker, Mar 19, 2022 London, UK Dan Hooker blue gloves before his fight against Arnold Allen during UFC Fight Night at O2 Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports, 19.03.2022 23:18:08, 17931803, UFC Fight Night, Dan Hooker, Arnold Allen, MMA PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xPerxHaljestamx 17931803
‘The Hangman’ further explained, “I would’ve fought injured. But someone at a desk crossed my name off the list. It’s like—bro, you work in an office. I work in the (cage). You’d think there’d be a bit more respect for guys who literally give their lives. Like, the amount of blood, sweat, and tears I’ve poured into putting on shows for their company! I thought there’d be a bit more respect, but there’s not… and that’s cool. This is business. We can fight on my terms then… You’re not gonna show me any respect, then I don’t feel like I’m obligated to break my back for a company that doesn’t respect me.”
Well, this might just be the beginning of a sour patch between Dan Hooker and the UFC. Dana White hasn’t addressed the situation either, leaving fans in the dark about why the promotion decided to cancel Hooker’s tickets in the first place. Meanwhile, the lightweight slugger hasn’t held back with his callouts, and the tension between him and the UFC brass only seems to be growing.
Hooker calls out Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan for November
Dan Hooker might be in a different place with the promotion right now, but that hasn’t stopped him from calling out the top contenders at 155 for his anticipated return. He already has some heat with Arman Tsarukyan, but now it looks like Charles Oliveira is also on his radar for a potential showdown this November.
Hooker posted on X, “Someone wake up Charlie Olives and tell him we fighting in November,” taking a cheeky jab at ‘Do Bronx’ getting knocked out cold by Ilia Topuria in the UFC 317 main event. He didn’t stop there! Turning his attention to Arman Tsarukyan, he wrote, “On a side note, Arman’s a bitch and he can get it too. Daddy’s home.”
That’s two solid callouts right there. However, not mentioning Max Holloway was a bit of a bummer. A potential clash between ‘The Hangman’ and ‘Blessed’ would’ve been a certified fan-favorite. Especially as a co-main for the rumored Islam Makhachev vs. Jack Della Maddalena showdown in November at Madison Square Garden.
With that being said, do you think Dan Hooker’s calling out the UFC for disrespect might affect his comeback plans? Drop your thoughts below.
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