Arnold Allen: It Wasn’t The Best Choice For Dan Hooker To Drop Down To Featherweight

Arnold Allen finally got a showcase fight against a high-profile opponent at UFC London and he took full advantage of the opportunity to stretch his perfect record with the promotion to 9-0.

‘Almighty’ welcomed long-time lightweight contender, Dan Hooker, back down to the featherweight division in the co-main event of what proved to be a historic show at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday night.

The former Cage Warriors champion made quick work of Hooker who he was able to beat up and dispatch inside one round to pick up the biggest win of his career.

An elated Allen spoke with LowKickMMA at the UFC London post-fight press conference about Hooker’s decision to drop down to 145lbs. The Englishman thinks it wasn’t the smartest decision and says that someone like Hooker should’ve been thinking about moving up to welterweight rather than down to featherweight.

“I personally didn’t think it was the best choice, you know?” Allen said of Hooker dropping weight class. “If anything, someone like that, going up maybe again would be a good idea, but he knows his body, he knows how he feels. But yeah, I think his best work is at lightweight. Not a knock at him or anything obviously, but I don’t think making that extra cut is a good choice.”

What’s next for Arnold Allen and Dan Hooker?

Allen will surely get a top-five opponent next. The 28-year-old has already suggested that Calvin Kattar could be his next opponent and it’s a scrap ‘The Boston Finisher’ is apparently down for too.

The future looks a little less clear for Hooker, who was once one of the very best lightweight fighters on the UFC roster. ‘Hangman’ has lost four of his last five fights. It appears that a step down in opposition is certainly next but what weight class that will be in is to be decided.

Do you agree with Arnold Allen? What’s next for Dan Hooker?