Dan Hooker looks to "work something out" with Conor McGregor at BKFC event in Spain after Michael Chandler axes fight plans with the Irishman
Dan Hooker is hopeful about fighting Conor McGregor after re-inserting his name in the lightweight top five. Hooker hit a bumpy road in his professional MMA career after his June 2020 defeat against Dustin Poirier. However, he claimed the No.5 spot with his UFC 305 win over Mateusz Gamrot.
Meanwhile, McGregor was expected to make his comeback against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 but was forced to pull out due to a toe injury. Chandler has moved on from the mega fight and is scheduled to rematch Charles Oliveira at UFC 309.
Hooker, who currently does not have an opponent, recently said that he will try to convince McGregor to fight him if they meet at the BKFC event on Oct. 12. While speaking to Fox Sports Australia, Hooker said about his next moves:
"Obviously, my eyes are on the title and I know that I've got a big fight coming up next. But I am actually heading over to the Bareknuckle Fighting Championships in Spain next week, which, Conor McGregor happens to own. So by the end of next week, I hopefully get a chance to either just have a word with him and see if he is interested in the fight."
When host Niko Pajarillo asked if Hooker would have the conversation while enjoying Proper No.12 Irish whisky or Forged Irish Stout - brands built by McGregor, the City Kickboxing standout replied:
"I'll send him a video of me drinking Forged Irish Stout every single day of my training camp. We'll work something out."
Check out Dan Hooker's comments below (1:31):
Dan Hooker and Renato Moicano go back and forth on social media
While Dan Hooker has been eyeing a potential fight against Conor McGregor, he has been engaged in a social media altercation with Brazil's Renato Moicano. At UFC Paris, Moicano secured a dominant TKO (Doctor's stoppage) win over Benoit Saint-Denis. He questioned Hooker's status as a top-five lightweight after the victory and called him out for a fight.
Replying to Moicano's post about France's taxation policy, Hooker took a playful jab at the Brazilian:
"Wasn't that your excuse for ducking me in Perth?"
Moicano responded:
"They didn’t offer the fight… but easy problem to solve… title fight eliminator in Vegas December #ufc"
While the duo seems to have verbally agreed to the fight, the UFC has not given any official statement regarding the matchup.