Dan Hooker’s frustration in finding an opponent may have just led to his next fight.
Winner of three straight fights via stoppage, Dan Hooker (16-7), is arguably the hottest lightweight currently sitting without a ranking. Well aware of his current non-position, Hooker has been very active in finding his next opponent from the moment his last fight against Jim Miller concluded. In the post-fight interview with Paul Felder, Hooker called out Felder himself in one of the more memorable post-fight interviews of the year and a true first in UFC history. With Paul Felder ranked #15, it seemed a wise and realistic callout and that the fight might just be made. But much to the chagrin of Hooker, Felder would be booked to face James Vick instead at UFC Boise.
Not one to be discouraged, Hooker would then engage in a Twitter spat with Alex Hernandez and openly beg Sean Shelby to make the fight:
Please @seanshelby feed me this kid! https://t.co/uyAmQIuYQG
— Dan Hangman Hooker (@danthehangman) May 1, 2018
This week, however, it was reported that Hernandez was slated to face Olivier Aubin-Mercier at UFC on Fox: Calgary. When made aware of this news, Hooker couldn’t help but share his dismay with social media:
Who did I piss off at the UFC ?????? First I get put on the @ALIAQUINTA bonus ban and now this…… https://t.co/PIOKSiDcIW
— Dan Hangman Hooker (@danthehangman) May 9, 2018
This tweet would get a swift response from another available lightweight without a fight, in Gilbert Burns:
They took your and my victim lol… So what you think? Let’s do it? July 7 Vegas?? ???? https://t.co/YV1bj87rWE
— GILBERT BURNS DURINHO (@GilbertDurinho) May 9, 2018
Burns was scheduled to face Aubin-Mercier at UFC on Fox 28 in February. Unfortunately, that fight was scrapped when the Florida Athletic Commission intervened in Burns’ weight cutting and deemed it unsafe for him to cut any additional weight. So with both men’s would-be opponents now facing the other’s, it only makes sense for the two to face one another, right? Dan Hooker certainly thought so:
Bruv u get me a contract for July 7 and I'll sign it today! https://t.co/RfBoa49wAf
— Dan Hangman Hooker (@danthehangman) May 10, 2018
There’s just one problem. Thursday morning, Oliver Aubin-Mercier informed MMA Twitter that the report of his fight with Alex Hernandez is not set yet:
Its not set. I didnt talk to the UFC since my last fight. https://t.co/gypVrIAK3O
— Olivier Aubin (@oliaubin) May 10, 2018
If Burns and Hooker prefer to face Mercier and Hernandez respectively, there still may be time to act before the fight is finalized. Or perhaps they will abide by the sanctity of the sacred Twitter contract and go through with the fight they have agreed upon.
How would you match-make Hooker, Burns, Hernandez, and Mercier?
