Conor McGregor opens as narrow betting favorite to beat Dan Hooker amid links to UFC showdown
Former two-weight UFC champion, Conor McGregor has opened as the slightest of betting favorites to return to the winner’s enclosure in a potential fight with surging lightweight favorite, Dan Hooker — with the two linked to a future showdown as soon as the new year.
McGregor, a former undisputed lightweight and featherweight champion under the banner of the UFC, has been out of action for the last three years, most recently fracturing his left tibia and fibula in a first round doctor’s stoppage TKO loss to common-foe, Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.
Himself in the midst of an impressive run of three straight wins, City Kickboxing staple, Hooker most recently landed a high-profile decision win over former two-division KSW champion, Mateusz Gamrot back in August on the main card of UFC 305.
Conor McGregor opens as narrow betting favorite to beat Dan Hooker in the new year
And amid links to a future title eliminator in the new year, fans of both mixed martial arts and Pin Up Cricket can find the best odds at the link provided — with Dublin striker, Conor McGregor opening as a slight -142 betting favorite to beat Kiwi contender, Dan Hooker — who is drawing odds currently sat as a +140 betting underdog.
Slated to return at UFC 303 back in June during a high-profile headliner during International Fight Week, McGregor himself withdrew from a pairing with another common-opponent, Michael Chandler in the weeks before the matchup, citing a fractured toe.
And claiming earlier this quarter — albeit before reports of an exhibition boxing match with Logan Paul in a trip to Mumbai surfaced this month, he was set to return to the Octagon in a title eliminator with Hooker, the New Zealander issued an ultimatum to the ex-champion to compete.
“I’m good to go in January or March,” Dan Hooker told Helen Yee of a potential fight with Conor McGregor. “The missus is due [with a baby in] February, so, no can go. I’ve got a little girl on the way. You’d even turn down big fight with (Conor) McGregor for that. You’re not missing that. No panties are coming off in February.”
He’s busy, he’s got money coming out of his ears — if I had that amount of money in the bank, you wouldn’t see me anywhere near a fistfight,” Dan Hooker explained.”
Furthermore, Conor McGregor’s apparent confirmation of a pairing with Hooker was news to the ears of UFC operator, Dana White, who dismissed that while a pairing had yet to be cemented in stone, he was interested in booking a pairing between the duo.
“Yeah, obviously, you know, that [Conor McGregor versus Dan Hooker] would be a great fight,” Dana White told. “I like that fight — I did not announce the fight.”
Without a victory coming up to five years ago, McGregor most recently stopped former lightweight title challenger and recent Hall of Fame inductee, Donald Cerrone inside just 40-seconds with a blistering first round high-kick and strikes knockout win in the main event of their UFC 246 welterweight showdown.
