Welcome to The Weekly Takedown, Illustrated Sports’s latest look at MMA. Each week, this column will provide insights and information on the most prominent stories from the fighting world.
Dan Hooker’s Quick Response
Dan Hooker fought at UFC 266 in September and returns to the Octagon later this month at UFC 267.
Originally, UFC 267 was supposed to feature Islam Makhachev against former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos, but dos Anjos was pulled due to injury. So Hooker (21-10), who scored a unanimous decision win against Nasrat Haqparast just a couple of weeks ago, now has another great opportunity as he prepares to take on the phenomenal (not yet tested in the top 10) Makhachev (20 – 1).
“My goal is to be known as the best fighter in the world,” says Hooker. “You need that gold belt to make that claim. That’s my ultimate goal, to go after the man with that belt, and a victory over Islam helps me get into that conversation. “
The 31-year-old mixed martial artist says a month off between fights did not deter him from the fight against Makhachev. Hooker finds himself in the middle of a different problem. He is originally from New Zealand, which has implemented some of the strictest measures in the world to combat the spread of the coronavirus. That means Hooker is separated from his family for long periods of time before, during and after his fights, so it almost benefited him to have these fights in a row.
Gary A. Vasquez / USA TODAY Sports
“I need to support my daughter and do what is best for her,” says Hooker. “Right now, it’s me going out and putting on a show. Supporting my family is something that I cannot pass on.
“I’m just going to hang my head, work and focus on Abu Dhabi. When I’m done, I’ll take my wife and daughter to Las Vegas. “
This is a meeting of the No. 5 (Makhachev) and No. 6 (Hooker) competitors in the lightweight division. A win here would be especially significant for Hooker, as it would mark his second win in a row following a devastating loss to Michael Chandler in January at UFC 257. After that loss, Hooker left his gloves in the cage, leaving people to think. your retirement could be imminent.
“That was sheer frustration,” Hooker says. “It’s not the first time I’ve done that either. I’ve had 10 losses and I feel like I’ve done it with my gloves nine different times. If there’s one thing I don’t have a problem with, it’s being a sore loser. I don’t want to be known as a good loser. “
Makhachev makes for an especially tough matchup, with explosive ground and pound fights and solid fighting. But Hooker also has a number of ways to win this fight.
“For me, any fight is a 50-50 contest,” Hooker says. “I know very well that I could subdue any man in this world, or that I could knock out any man in this world. Now he has many things to do; created a lot of momentum. A lot of guys get beaten before they even go into the Octagon with him, but that’s something that won’t happen with me. I have too much experience; I’ve been to the fighting realm and these dogfights. My fans and I know that a fight awaits him, and that is a fact.
“I want the gold belt to show that I am the best in the world. So I need this win at 267 to get there. “
Heavyweight title unification fight is scheduled for January
Francis Ngannou will return to the Octagon in January for a heavyweight title unification fight against undefeated interim champion Ciryl Gane.
This has the potential to be an outstanding fight. Gane has never met anyone close to Ngannou’s caliber, and the reigning champion has a lot to prove in his first title defense since winning the belt in March. It also marks another heavyweight title fight that doesn’t feature Jon Jones.
Jones was arrested two weeks ago on assault and domestic violence charges. Jones’ list of transgressions has continued to grow over the years, but there is still great interest in seeing him challenge for the heavyweight belt. Despite his recent troubles, Jones is likely still fighting for the belt, and a timeline from next summer would make a lot of sense.
Although Jones has not fought since February 2020, a time so distant that it was before the world was closed due to COVID-19, he will not have a set-up fight before getting his title shot.
Stipe Miocic is also shaping up to be a challenger for the winner of Ngannou-Gane. Jones and Miocic will instantly inject an adrenaline rush into the heavyweight division.
The Pick ‘Em section
Here are my picks for Saturday UFC fight night:
Women’s strawweight fight: Mackenzie Dern vs. Marina Rodríguez
Pick: Mackenzie Dern
Welterweight fight: Randy Brown vs. Jred Gooden
Pick: Randy Brown
Men’s flyweight fight: Tim Elliott vs. Matheus Nicolau
Pick: Matheus Nicolau
Women’s flyweight fight: Sabina Mazo vs. Mariya Agapova
Pick: Sabina Mazo
Middleweight fight: Phil Hawes vs. Deron Winn
Pick: Phil Hawes
Last week: 6–0
Current record: 28-15
Justin Barrasso can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @Justinbarrasso.
More MMA coverage:
• UFC 266 recap: Volkanovski defends featherweight title
• From Buddhist temple to MMA, James Yang’s unique journey
• Valentina Shevchenko won’t settle for another dominant performance
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.