Dan Hooker keen on fighting Islam Makhachev if he wins at UFC Vegas 31

UFC lightweight contender Dan Hooker has expressed interest in fighting Islam Makhachev, if the Dagestani fighter manages to get past Thiago Moises on July 17.

In an interview with James Lynch, the New Zealander said the fight could happen should the Russian have his arm raised on Saturday.

"It will be good to see him [Islam Makhachev] step into a main event and see what he can do. I know he's just behind me in the rankings so that's another fight there. [If] He gets the job done and he says my name...you sell that fight and we can make it happen." Dan Hooker said.

You can watch the clip below:

Dan Hooker is one of the most entertaining fighters in the UFC. 'The Hangman' doesn't know how to deliver a boring fight and he has shown that in his five-round wars with Paul Felder and Dustin Poirier.

The 31-year-old has beaten solid UFC contenders like Paul Felder, Al Iaquinta, Gilbert Burns and Jim Miller. He's also collected two 'Fight of the Night' and four 'Performance of the Night' bonuses during his stint in the UFC.

The New Zealander's last outing in the octagon was at UFC 257 in January 2021. The fight did not go Hooker's way as he was caught with a clean left hand by Chandler that knocked him down. A few seconds later, the fight ended in a TKO victory for 'Iron', who was making his UFC debut that night.

Islam Makhachev will return to the octagon on July 17

Islam Makhachev's next fight will be against Thiago Moises at UFC Vegas 31 this weekend. This will be the Dagestani fighter's first time headlining a UFC event.

Makhachev is on a highly impressive seven-fight winning streak in the UFC's 155-pound division. The 29-year-old has an overall MMA record of 19-1.

In his last fight at UFC 259, Makhachev showed that he is ready for elite level competition as he submitted Drew Dober in the second round via an arm-triangle choke.