"Beating Islam would be like beating Khabib" - Javier Mendez on why he believes Dan Hooker has taken a short notice fight against Islam Makhachev
Dan Hooker recently stepped in on short notice to fight Islam Makhachev at UFC 267. Hooker stepped in for Rafael dos Anjos, who pulled out as he had to undergo knee surgery. 'The Hangman' took the fight against Makhachev shortly after his UFC 266 victory against Nasrat Haqparast.
Islam Makhachev's coach Javier Mendez has now weighed in on why Dan Hooker stepped in on short notice for the fight. According to Mendez, going after Makhachev makes sense for Hooker as the Dagestani is the future of the lightweight division.
Dan Hooker also believes that beating Islam Makhachev will be like beating former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. While Javier Mendez doesn't completely agree with Hooker, he does believe that Makhachev is the heir to the UFC lightweight throne. The AKA head coach recently said on his podcast:
"So I figured, 'okay if the picks are Dan Hooker and X and X and X', I'm thinking well Dan Hooker's probably gonna be. Because he's not gonna turn it down. He wasn't injured in his last fight. I guess he had a good showing against a decent fighter. So, for him, why not get back on the horse and especially go after Islam [Makhachev] which as he describes, 'beating Islam would be like beating Khabib'. You know, which of course it's not. Because Islam is Islam, he's not Khabib. But there is a mystique behind Islam. That he is the next heir and I happen to agree with him. Ya, it kind of in a way is because I do agree that Islam is the heir to that lightweight throne. And he is the guy to beat. So, he is correct. He is doing the right thing."
Watch Javier Mendez's podcast below:
Dan Hooker would like to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov
Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from the sport of MMA after his title defense against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in October last year. Dan Hooker recently revealed that 'The Eagle' would be his first choice if he could fight any lightweight under the sun.
Since that is not likely to happen, Hooker is content to face Islam Makhachev, who he believes is the next best choice. Dan Hooker recently told MMA Fighting:
“If I could fight any lightweight on the face of the planet, it would be Khabib. I want to see how I measure up with him. It’s no lie that Islam’s the next best thing."
DAN HOOKER (@danthehangman) is stepping in to face Islam Makhachev (@MAKHACHEVMMA) at UFC 267 in one month, per Dana White (@danawhite). Just fought at UFC 266, on a week he had to fly from New Zealand to Vegas two days before the fight. What a savage, this guy. https://t.co/DJvGnbWwlF