Dana White unsure of Dan Hooker’s future but says ‘he can do whatever he wants to’
Dana White isn’t sure what will be next for Dan Hooker.
Hooker dropped back down to featherweight to fight Arnold Allen in the co-main event of UFC London. From the get-go, Allen threw heavy shots there landing big and rocked Hooker. However, the Kiwi had a nice counter shot that dropped the Brit but Allen continued to go after him. After a barrage of punches against the fence, the ref stopped the fight which dropped Hooker to just 1-4 in his last five.
With Hooker now losing at a new weight class, his future is uncertain. But, for White, he says Hooker fought well and can do whatever he wants to do whether that is staying at featherweight or moving up back to lightweight.
“That’s up to him. He came in and performed tonight. He made weight, he came in and went to war with a guy who’s undefeated in this weight class and he can do whatever he wants to,” White said after UFC London.
Although he did lose, as Dana White says, Hooker lost to someone that was undefeated in the UFC and in the top-10. Before the fight as well, Hooker was vocal in saying featherweight is his weight class.
“I’m focused and committed to the weight class at the time,” Hooker told MMA Junkie. “I wouldn’t make the move to featherweight if I was just seeing how it goes or this and that. I’m committed to featherweight and I’m focused on featherweight. I guess I’ve just left the chat. I’ve left the chat at lightweight and we’ll see how the next couple of years go. When it comes down to fighting, whatever weight class I get offered for whatever opponent, that’s not like a real issue to me. But I just feel like this is the best weight class for me.”
With the loss, Dan Hooker is now 21-12 as a pro and just 1-4 in his last five with his lone win coming against Nasrat Haqparast. However, his losses have come to the very best, but whether or not Hooker has the ability to make a title run is uncertain at this point.
