Few divisions have matched the intensity and brutality of the UFC’s lightweight division.
Dan Hooker may have called his own path a ‘stupid’ one, but fighters like him have helped shape the division’s reputation.
When ‘The Hangman’ enters the Octagon, he is not worrying about what comes next. He is focused on the moment, just like many others in his weight class.
It makes sense that the BMF belt is now part of this division, with Max Holloway set to defend against Charles Oliveira in July.
Speaking ahead of his return this weekend, Hooker included two fellow lightweights in his personal ‘action’ Mount Rushmore.
Dan Hooker picks out his all-action Mount Rushmore of UFC fighters
Hooker may have accepted that a UFC title is not in his future after his defeat last November, but he is not ready to walk away from the sport just yet.
Whether there is gold involved or not, ‘The Hangman’ is always worth tuning in for, with a history full of fights that fans do not forget.
Speaking ahead of UFC 325, Hooker was asked if he would put himself on his personal Mount Rushmore of action fighters.
He kept himself off the list, but still named four fighters whose style alone is enough to win over new fans every time they step into the Octagon.
“Chuck Liddell. We’re going Chuck Liddell, Wanderlei Silva. Action, all-action. I’ll put Justin Gaethje up there, he’s a madman, and we’ll go [Dustin] Poirier. That’s my top four,” he told CBS Sports.
While he never shared the cage with Gaethje due to an injury pulling him out of their scheduled bout last year, Hooker did go five hard rounds with Poirier during the pandemic in what quickly became a fan-favourite fight.
Dan Hooker’s next fight promises to be another violent lightweight clash
Hooker’s quick return to action after a loss in November sums up exactly who he is as a fighter.
His opponent, Benoit Saint-Denis, was not around during the peak years of wars between Hooker, Gaethje, Poirier, Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez.
But based on what we have seen so far in his UFC career, ‘BSD’ could well be the face of the new generation of all-action lightweights.
We will see at UFC 325 whether Saint-Denis chooses to stand and trade with Hooker or take a different approach against one of the division’s toughest fighters.
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