UFC lightweight Dan Hooker will get the honor of welcoming Michael Chandler to the promotion at UFC 257 on January 23. The two lightweight contenders will be the co-main event on the card that features Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier as the headliner.
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 26: In this handout image provided by UFC, Dan Hooker of New Zealand poses on the scale during the UFC weigh-in at UFC APEX on June 26, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
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The New Zealand native, Hooker is part of the City Kickboxing gym, which holds two UFC world champions in Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski. ‘The Hangman’ has title aspirations himself as he aspires to join the aforementioned duo. However, he competes in one of the most stacked divisions in the promotion.
Read: Dan Hooker Trolls Michael Chandler With F.R.I.E.N.D.S TV Show Reference Ahead of UFC 257 Fight
Hooker plans to pick Chandler apart
Speaking to Fanatics View, Hooker was asked how he sees the fight going. ‘The Hangman’ believes that his striking is superior to that of Chandler’s. He explained, “If all goes well, I do my thing, I’ll pick him apart. Force him to take some risks, for him to take some shots, and then he runs into a bit of a landmine and I think we all know what those are. Those are my two knees I got ready for him.”
Hooker joined the UFC in 2014. He currently has a record of 20-9 with 17 finishes. The Auckland representative was on a three-fight win streak beating the likes of Paul Felder, James Vick, and Al Iaquinta. However, he saw his run stopped as he lost a unanimous decision to Dustin Poirier in June 2020.
Stepping into the UFC octagon will be a first for Michael Chandler, but the 34-year veteran has seen it all. A multiple-time Bellator world champion, ‘Iron’ is looking at testing himself in the biggest MMA promotion against the best talent in the world.
Dan Hooker wants to challenge for the title
‘The Hangman’ believes that a win against Chandler will put him in the picture for the next shot at the title. Chandler was the backup fighter at UFC 254 for the main event between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje. However, his involvement on the card would not take place as both fighters made it to the fight unscathed.
Hooker believes that he can steal the star power off Chandler with a trademark finish. The winner of the main event, as confirmed by Dana White, will be the #1 contender for the title, Nurmagomedov’s uncertainty could see a fight for the vacated title and Hooker aims to ensure he is in the best possible position for a fight against a higher-ranked opponent.
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