"Ripped the clown head off" - Dan Hooker talks drinking with Jon Anik and Aljamain Sterling before confrontation with Sean O'Malley fan
Dan Hooker once confronted a wild Sean O'Malley fan on the behalf of Aljamain Sterling.
'The Hangman' and 'The Funk Master' aren't the closest of friends, but they get along quite well. In a recent video on Israel Adesanya's YouTube channel, Hooker reflected on a night that he was out with the former UFC bantamweight champion.
Jon Anik also joined the two fighters on their night out. The three went out drinking and participated in a fan meet-up in Australia for UFC 293. While most fans at the event were pretty cordial, that wasn't the case for everyone.
As Dan Hooker explained, the fan meet-up wasn't long after Aljamain Sterling's fight with Sean O'Malley last August. According to the UFC lightweight contender, one of 'Sugar's fans was antagonizing the former bantamweight champion.
As a result, Hooker decided to step up for him. Retelling the story, the lightweight stated:
"We did UFC Sydney, we did like a couple of Instagram stuff like that. He was like, 'Oh man, have you tried my rum?' and I was like, 'Are we going to stare at it or are we drinking it?' Then we smashed it.
"Anyway, we're sitting there doing the thing. It was me, Sterling and Jon Anik lined up. I heard some guy in the back just being like, 'O'Malley! O'Malley!' and I looked back in the line."
He continued:
"The guy had like a clown head on ... He came up to the front and just daps up. Jon and Sterling is just looking and I just f**** walked up and hit him in the nuts. I ripped the clown head off and fired it over the room. I said, 'Now, take your f***** picture.'"
Check out his comments below (5:45)
How did the fight between Aljamain Sterling and Sean O'Malley go?
The two clashed at UFC 292 just a month before the fan meet-up. Heading into that bout, 'Funk Master' was riding high, having earned his third straight title defense against Henry Cejudo.
Unfortunately for the champion, that would be the last defense he made. In the main event of UFC 292 last August, Sean O'Malley scored a second-round knockout to win the gold in stunning fashion.
For Aljamain Sterling, turning around a few weeks later to fly and do press for the UFC had to be a bit tough. Luckily, Dan Hooker had his back.