Dan Hooker confirms move back to 155lbs: “I couldn’t make 145 if I wanted to”
UFC fan favorite Dan Hooker has confirmed that he will be moving back to 155lbs, saying that “I couldn’t make 145 if I wanted to.”
After losing three of his last four fights in the UFC lightweight division, Hooker moved back down to featherweight, the weight class where he began his UFC career. However, the move proved to be a disaster for Hooker. He took on Arnold Allen at UFC London back in March, and after getting blitzed early on, lost by knockout in the first round, just the second time in the UFC he’s lost in the first round.
It seemed that the gigantic weight cut down to 145lbs played a role in the loss, and Hooker has now decided that he’s done with featherweight for good and will be making the move back up to his old stomping grounds at 155lbs. Speaking to Submission Radio, Hooker confirmed that he is done with the featherweight experiment, and he will be moving back up to lightweight for his next appearance.
“Oh, f*ck no, I couldn’t make 145 if I wanted to,” Hooker said (via MMAjunkie.com). “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 – 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.”
Hooker is still ranked at 155lbs, coming in as the No. 13 ranked fighter in the UFC’s official rankings, so he figures to get a notable opponent in his return to the UFC lightweight division.
Who do you want to see Dan Hooker fight in his return to lightweight?
