What is next for Dan Hooker? (Opinion)
The UFC Lightweight division is stacked with big names and exciting fights. Not so long ago, in one of the most exciting fights in recent memory, Dustin Poirier took on Dan Hooker. After five violent rounds, Dustin Poirier got his hands raised, making an emphatic UFC return.
With that win, Dustin Poirier gets one step closer to another title shot. However, what's next for Dan Hooker? Even though Poirier won the fight, Hooker was very close to securing the biggest win of his career. Hooker arguably won the first two rounds. And he even came very close to finishing Poirier at the end of the second round.
With that performance, Dan Hooker has certainly proved that he can hang around with the top fighters of the division. But he is still a few wins away from a potential title shot. And there are some intriguing fights for Hooker before he finally gets a shot at the UFC gold.
The majority of the fans have been rallying for a fight between Tony Ferguson and Dan Hooker. Even though that fight is guaranteed to be a backburner, there are some other options for Hooker. Both Ferguson and Hooker have taken a lot of punishment in their last fights. So, it makes sense for both of them to take a breather.
Meanwhile, Justin Gaethje takes on Khabib Nurmagomedov in a title unification bout. If Gaethje wins that fight then he is likely to face Conor McGregor next. However, if he loses the fight, then Gaethje vs Hooker will make a lot of sense.
But Gaethje vs Poirier is also a possibility if the former loses to Nurmagomedov. A win for Gaethje in his fight with The Eagle will change the entire plot of the story.
The fight that makes the most sense for Dan Hooker
Besides the Gaethje fight, there is a fight against Charles Oliveira. After the win against Kevin Lee, Oliveira is on a seven-fight winning streak. Dan Hooker vs Charles Oliveira is the fight to make. Oliveria is ranked No. 6 while Hooker is No.5. Besides that, Hooker is coming from a loss.
Charles Oliveira deserves a higher-ranked opponent and Hooker seems to be the right opponent for him. If Hooker can get back into the octagon soon enough then UFC should consider booking this fight. And the winner of Hooker vs Oliveira can take on Tony Ferguson.
Let us know who do you think should fight Dan Hooker next.