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Veteran UFC lightweight Dan Hooker is slowly coming back from a hand injury and believes he could fight again sometime in October or November, he told MMA Junkie. Hooker was supposed to face Justin Gaethje earlier this year at UFC 313 in March, but he had to pull out of the fight due to a broken hand. Now he comes back almost ready and eager for action.
"I think I'll be ready in October or November. I think Gaethje will just wait for another shot at the title. It would be stupid for him to fight another challenger, but that's what makes this division interesting right now. The belt is changing, and there's going to be a lot of movement in the division in the coming months. That's good," Hooker said.
Hooker's expectations and plans for the next fights
Hooker believes that Gaethje will be waiting for a chance to fight for the belt against the new UFC lightweight champion, Ilija Topuria, so it is unlikely that the two will meet again soon. Instead, Hooker would rather accept a challenge from Tsarukyan, who is currently the number one contender in the division.
"Tsarukyan is calling me names, and he's the number one contender. Nobody likes him, so I'd like to knock his teeth out," the veteran fighter said.
Tsarukyan is considered one of the toughest opponents in the division, primarily because of his exceptional wrestling ability. When asked why he wanted such a demanding match, Hooker replied without mincing words:
"I don't care. My match against Mateusz Gamrot was exciting because I could get up. If someone can just hold you down and make a boring fight, then it's my fault. But because my counter-wrestling style is at such a level that people just can't hold me down, and because I can get out and get up, that's what makes the fight exciting."
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