Edson Barboza entered the Octagon as the betting underdog for his UFC Milwaukee co-main event scrap against Dan Hooker, but he sure didn’t perform like one. Dan Hooker entered the bout very game and was well aware that a bout against #5-ranked Edson Barboza was the toughest test of his career as he looked to make it five straight:
“This is what I want,” Hooker told Fight News Australia prior to UFC Milwaukee of his pending bout against Edson Barboza. “I called for the toughest guy, I called for the hardest match up and I got it. He’s ranked number five, I’m fourteen. This shows you that between me at fourteen and him at number five, no one else in between that was saying this guy’s name because of how dangerous he is. This is the guy I want to fight. This is the kind of fight that I asked for, the best guys, the most dangerous guys. I feel like I have a point to prove this weekend.”
Dan Hooker got his wish. He also got a total of 127 strikes, with a dispersed output of 71 to the head, 36 to the body, and 19 to the legs. Ultimately, it was the body strikes that would close the curtain on Hooker’s inspiring display of heart and determination. At the conclusion of the bout, Hooker was transported to the hospital. Soon after, Hooker’s coach Eugene Bareman provided an update on the health status of Dan Hooker:
“He was visibly concussed several times, I believe,” Hooker’s coach Eugene Bareman told ESPN. “We have a very good set of protocols within the gym to take care of him. It’s a ruthless game we play. Painful for me to watch that from a distance, but we have been here before many times, so I’m looking forward to the return.”
Fortunately, there were no broken bones suffered by Dan Hooker. And even though Hooker was defeated, his stock has remained strong after his incredible display of toughness, which UFC President Dana White tipped his hat to along with the many fans who tuned in to the event: (via MMA Fighting):
“He’s got nothin’ to be upset about,” White told Fox Sports of Hooker. “He showed a ton of toughness tonight, a ton of heart, The fight actually should have been stopped earlier than it was.”
What do you believe is next for Dan Hooker following his brutal loss to Edson Barboza at UFC Milwaukee?
