Dan Hooker targets bouts that will take him to the next level.
Hooker is coming off a first-round knockout victory over Gilbert Burns. The two did battle last month at UFC 226 in Las Vegas. The victory extended Hooker’s winning streak to four and he’s finished all of his opponents in this current span.
Dan Hooker Targets Bouts With Anthony Pettis & Edson Barboza
Last month, Hooker’s coach expressed interest in seeing his fighter share the Octagon with former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis. Hooker told FanSided.com that while he’d still like a fight with Pettis, he’s turning his attention to Edson Barboza:
“I’m not real fussed about the Pettis fight. He’s a big name, but I don’t think he’s got the fight. Just seeing him fight, he doesn’t have the heart to gun it out with me, so I’m not super-upset that he’s not taking the fight. I think Barboza has got the fight. If I really had to pick a guy, it would be Barboza. I think he’s got the challenge, the skills and I have a lot of respect for him and it would be an honor to get in there with Barboza. Barboza is the guy. He’s the guy that can give me the fight that I really crave, that level of competition.”
Pettis is coming off a second-round submission victory over Michael Chiesa on the same card where Hooker knocked out Burns. “Showtime” was 2-5 in his last seven outings prior to the bout with Chiesa.
As for Barboza, he’s looking to get back in the swing of things after dropping back-to-back bouts against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Kevin Lee. “The Eagle” defeated Barboza via unanimous decision, while Lee finished Barboza in the final round. After going on a three-fight winning streak, Barboza now faces a three-fight skid.
Would you like to see Dan Hooker tested against Anthony Pettis or Edson Barboza?
