Dan Hooker interested in fight against Rafael dos Anjos next
Having been on the sideline since his first-round knockout loss to Michael Chandler, UFC lightweight contender Dan Hooker is ready to return and he’s got his sights set on a former champion. Hooker suffered his second consecutive loss back in January at UFC 257 when he lost to Chandler, after previously being defeated by former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier in June of 2020.
Before his two-fight losing skid, Hooker rose to the elite level of the UFC’s lightweight division with three consecutive wins over James Vick, Al Iaquinta, and Paul Felder. Known as one of the most exciting and toughest fighters not only in the division but across the UFC, fans have been waiting for Dan Hooker’s return and it appears “The Hangman” knows who he wants.
In an interview with Submission Radio, Hooker opened up about his comeback, the opponents he’d like to face next, and why a fight against Rafael dos Anjos interests him the most.
.@danthehangman is open for a return fight with RDA:
“Anyone ranked above me would be a good fight for me. But yeah, fights that make sense. I like the RDA fight. Like, former champ, I respect his skillset, I respect the way he carries himself”
🎥 https://t.co/NRCGyzYLYr pic.twitter.com/QsKEWkW4Bh
— Submission Radio (@SubmissionRadio) April 14, 2021
“Anyone ranked above me would be a good fight for me. Fights that make sense, I like the RDA [dos Anjos] fight. Former champ, I respect his skillset, I respect the way he carries himself and I feel like that is a fight that makes a little more sense. He can kind of get one of the bigger fights that he’s chasing.”
Currently, Dan Hooker ranks eighth in the division while Rafael dos Anjos ranks seventh so a matchup between the two makes sense on paper and could elevate the winner into a matchup among the lightweight’s top-5 fighters.
The last time dos Anjos competed was November of 2020 when he faced Paul Felder on short notice after his fight with Islam Makhachev fell through for the second time. The former lightweight champion would go on to convincingly defeat Felder by unanimous decision and called for fights with Makhachev and retired champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
With plenty of fights being scheduled throughout the lightweight division including Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier 3 and a vacant title fight between Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira, a fight between Dan Hooker and Rafael dos Anjos could make sense for all parties involved.
