Dan Hooker is down for a BMF title eliminator fight with Bobby Green: ‘I owe it to the fans’
Dan Hooker is down for a BMF title fight, so long as he gets to go through Bobby Green first.
With back-to-back wins over Claudio Puelles and Jalin Turner in his last two outings, ‘The Hangman’ is looking to make a summertime return against a big name in the lightweight division.
Speaking with Hyon Ko of The Allstar, Hooker spoke about a potential clash with Beneil Dariush, but if he gets his wish, the UFC will rebook his previously scheduled scrap with 155-pound standout ‘King’ Bobby Green.
Furthermore, Hooker believes that such an electrifying fight could serve as a potential BMF title eliminator.
“You need a BMF [title] eliminator. That’s why I was originally calling for the [Bobby] Green fight,” Hooker said. “That’s originally what it was to the fans. I suggested that like it was a BMF eliminator and there weren’t any fans who had any counterarguments to that. Me and Green would be a heck of a fight. I owe it to the fans and I would love to step in and compete against him and line myself up for the BMF belt.
“After his performance against Jim Miller at UFC 300, Bobby Green’s stock is right back to where it deserves to be and if nothing comes together for International Fight Week, Green’s got two arms and two legs, brother, so he fits the bill, but I’d love to bring him down to Perth and do that one at home. That’ll be cool.”
Dan Hooker Slams Ilia Topuria’s BMF Title Demands
The BMF title currently resides with Max Holloway after ‘Blessed’ delivered the highlight of the night at UFC 300, dispatching Justin Gaethje with an epic buzzer-beating knockout. Following the win, Holloway’s stock rose massively, making him a viable contender in two different divisions.
Asked about his thoughts on Holloway’s last-second KO, Dan Hooker admitted to being blown away by the moment. He also took a dig at Ilia Topuria’s recent BMF title demands, saying:
“Absolutely wild. That’s the danger of the sport. For Max to have it in the bag and put it all on the line, that’s BMF sh*t, you know what I mean? If there’s a ‘but’ in your statement, you’ve immediately disqualified yourself from the BMF conversation. It’s gone over your head if you have to say, ‘I’ll fight him, but…’ If there’s any ifs, buts, or maybes, you’ve disqualified yourself.”