Dan Hooker's confesson about 'selling title shot' for money despite losses to Islam Makhachev and others draws fan backlash: "CTE is kicking in early"

Dan Hooker revealed that he had focused more on securing substantial paychecks than on pursuing UFC title aspirations. 'The Hangman' went through the roughest patch of his career between 2020 and 2022, suffering four losses in five fights, with three of them coming by knockout or submission.

On the FREESTYLEBENDER, Hooker admitted that after defeating Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 266, he took the short-notice fight against Islam Makhachev at UFC 267 for financial reasons, rather than focusing on a title shot. He acknowledged that this decision, driven by the allure of a bigger payday, led to a loss:

"At that stage of my career, I just wanted money, and they [UFC] capitalized on that. I sold my title shot; at the end of the day, that's what it came down to. Then, obviously, I just wanted money, and I got money, and I was like, 'Well, this is not cool. I want a world title' and you can’t trade money for a world title."

Check out Dan Hooker's comments below (5:38):

Fans responded to Hooker's comments with varied reactions, with many suggesting that the 34-year-old New Zealander was never truly in the running for a title shot and that his perspective may have been somewhat unrealistic.

One fan wrote:

"I see CTE is kicking in early."

Another wrote:

"The turtle on the tree... his best performance is to lose against [Dustin] Poirier!"

Another commented:

"When did he ever have a title shot?"

Check out some more reactions below:

Comments on @Home_of_Fight on X

'The Hangman' is riding a three-fight win streak, most recently securing a split decision victory over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305 in August 2024. Now, Hooker is setting his sights on a pivotal matchup that could bring him one step closer to his first title shot.

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When Dan Hooker claimed Islam Makhachev used IV to rehydrate after UFC 284 weigh-ins

Islam Makhachev successfully defended his lightweight title with a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284 in February 2023.

Dan Hooker, a fellow City Kickboxing teammate of Volkanovski, claimed that Makhachev violated USADA regulations to gain an unfair edge in the lead-up to the fight.

'The Hangman' took to social media and claimed that he has evidence that Makhachev used intravenous (IV) therapy to rehydrate after weigh-ins, a practice prohibited under the UFC’s anti-doping policy. He posted on X:

"Dumb c*nt thinks he can fly to Australia hire a nurse to give him an I.V and we won’t find out. Cheating dog."

Check out Dan Hooker's posts below: