Making his return after 13 months, Dan Hooker is aiming to make a statement as he takes on the fifth-ranked fighter in the lightweight division, Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305, taking place in front Perth, Australia.
Hooker had been sidelined after breaking his arm. Following the surgery, he was scheduled to take part in December 2023, as the same injury resurfaced.
“The first time, I just rushed it back a little, a little too quickly. So yeah, it’s just learning from the experience of the first one to just take my time with the 2nd. But yeah, I’ve given it a lot more time. You know, it took twice as much time to heal the second time. So I’ve got it at 100% now,” Hooker commented.
The Kiwi remains cheerful on his return however as he expressed that he certainly might have missed out on some fun within the confines of the octagon albeit in a sarcastic manner.
“Oh, it’s pretty good. So not getting hit in the head for a year. So, it’s been rather refreshing if I’m being honest. I mean, maybe I figured out that I don’t like getting hit in the head that much. I’m lying. I enjoyed it a bit too much mate,” Hooker jokingly commented.
After an extended time away from fighting, the 34-year-old will now be expected to make his highly awaited return in front of a home crowd where fans will hope he can get back to his relentless brand of combat, which makes it a treat to watch for the viewers.
Born in New Zealand, Hooker was just like most kids who enjoyed the thrill of sport and took up rugby to begin with. However, at the age of 18, he was introduced to fighting and started his professional career at 19.
Taking inspiration from the likes of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, Hooker will hope that he can get back to his very best and possibly go in for the hunt for a title.
Speaking on his preparation ahead of the fight, Hooker focused on his grappling skills which could come in handy to defend against his opponent. He said,” Just heaps of wrestling because he’s a very good grappler and a good wrestler. So spend heaps of time just preparing for the skill set”.
The Kiwi-born fighter gained prominence within the 155lbs (70kg) category when he took on the likes of Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler and the current champion, Islam Makachev. The fight against Poirier proved to be one of the iconic fights of the modern era with both men refusing to back down in a stellar contest between two top-class strikers.
As the Covid-19 pandemic came about, like the rest of the world, Hooker also was forced to dial down on his training due to the various restrictions being imposed in Australia and New Zealand to prevent further spread of the virus. But the Kiwi reflects on that time and remains grateful for the resources he had access to, particularly his stellar coaching team and the various facilities that have allowed him to establish a fine legacy within the UFC.
He shared, “Yeah, I guess COVID kicked my a** a bit, you know, with the old gym being shut down and, and not having my coaches. So in reality, it just made me appreciate how much my gym and my coaches mean to me and, like gives me full appreciation that I can’t do it without them. After that, I’m prone to listen to them a bit more than I used to”.
Australia and New Zealand have shown some of the finest combat fighters in recent years. The likes of Alexander Volkanovski and Israel Adesanya have cemented themselves as legends across the Featherweight and Middleweight divisions respectively. A vast majority of fighters from that region have shown to be fairly close with each other, sharing a familial bond within the fight industry.
Hooker has been seen training with Adesanya as well on multiple occasions and the former believes that the reason for such a bond is purely because of the time spent on the mat coupled with the fact that the MMA community there is still on the smaller side.
Dan commented, “We’ve just been training together for a real long time, like 10 years. So you’re training for that long, you get to know them well. And there’s been a lot of blood, sweat and tears on the mat. So it’s understandable that you build quite a strong relationship with each other. It’s quite common that you see fighters from Australia and New Zealand, they share a bit of camaraderie”.
He added, “We just see each other fight events, you know, the, the, I think if we break it down, just the fight community in Australia and New Zealand is quite small, especially in terms of like the coaches. So yeah, you do get to see the same faces at most of the shows”.
The upcoming fight will be a massive test for our Kiwi-born fighter but he has certainly shown that he has the minerals to get the job done, it is now yet to be seen if the year-long break has served him well.
Watch UFC 305 – Du Plessis vs. Adesanya on 18th August 2024 at 7:30 AM IST LIVE On Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD & HD (Tamil & Telugu)
Read More: From Sidelines to Spotlight; Dan ‘The Hangman’ Hooker Looking to Make a Statement After
