Dan Hooker of New Zealand poses on the scale during the UFC weigh-in at UFC APEX on June 26, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Dan Hooker alludes to the sacrifices required to make the 145 lbs. cut, and how it brings out the best in him
The co-main event for UFC London will mark the featherweight return of Dan Hooker against Arnold Allen. Hooker has been on a losing slant in the lightweight division and will be looking forward to revitalizing his career with a switch in weight class.
Many fighters have reaped benefits out of a switch in weight class in the UFC- noticeable names include the likes of Jared Cannonier, who will contest for the middleweight crown sometime in the future.
Hooker’s transition to featherweight won’t be a cake walk, given the fact that he walks big in his natural weight, and has even contested in the heavyweight division once in past. It requires tremendous dedication, and insane hard work to shrink naturally.
Ahead of his much-awaited return, Hooker sat down with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, and spoke candidly about the struggles behind making the cut. He said, “It requires another level of sacrifice, it requires another level of dedication that 155 doesn’t demand of me. So this is why it’s the best weight class for me, because to compete at 145 I have to be 100% laser focused. And it brings out the best in me, which it has. This camp without a doubt has been challenging. But without a shadow of a doubt it has brought out the best in me and has made me develop and grow at a greater speed than I could ever do at 155.”
A win against No.7 ranked Arnold Allen can work wonders in motivating Hooker, and pushing him up the featherweight ladder.
English mixed martial artist Arnold Allen will clash against fan-favorite Dan Hooker at the co-main event of UFC London. The homecoming fight will mean a great deal, since this is the first UFC event in the UK after the pandemic.
Allen has a formidable 18 fights in MMA, with a cracking 17 wins and only 1 loss that came by decision. He made his UFC debut against Alan Omer back in June 2015, and won the fight by submission. He is undefeated inside the UFC octagon with notable wins against octagon legend Gilbert Melendez, and Nick Lentz.
He has won the performance of the night bonus twice, and will look forward to making a statement this Saturday. Allen has an adroit proficiency on the ground, one place where Hooker has a bit of weakness. With 4 submission wins already on his record, he can surely test the ground game of Hooker on his featherweight return.
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