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Dustin Poirier doesn't believe that Dan Hooker is getting the respect he deserves. Dustin Poirier, coming off a loss to UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov last year at UFC 242, is set to make his return to the Octagon after 10 months as he takes on #5 ranked Dan Hooker.
Dustin Poirier feels Dan Hooker isn't getting the respect he deserves
Hooker is on a three-fight win streak, with his last win over Paul Felder in Auckland shooting him into the top 5 rankings of UFC's most stacked division. In an interview with MMAJunkie, Dustin Poirier said he disliked the fact that people are writing off Dan Hooker's chances against him:
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“I don’t like that, honestly,” Poirier told MMA Junkie. “This guy is dangerous. This guy is a top opponent a top-five ranked fighter in the UFC for a reason. I don’t look past anybody. This guy is the only thing I’m focused on right now. 25 minutes with Hooker and we’ll see what happens. I don’t like the fact that fans and stuff are just passing him over because this is a dangerous guy I’ve been preparing very seriously for.”
It's going to be an interesting stylistic match-up. A win for Dan Hooker could put him right into title contention after Justin Gaethje. The latter is now the Interim UFC Lightweight Champion after beating Tony Ferguson this past April and is set for a title unification bout against the man Dustin Poirier last faced - Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The two are expected to face off around September on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. Dustin Poirier vs Hooker will play a key role in determining the future of the division. Conor McGregor would normally be in the picture, but he's yet another name who claims that he's retired.
Hooker beating Poirier would fully legitimize him as a title challenger, especially if Justin Gaethje manages to upset Nurmagomedov in Abu Dhabi. Either way, it's going to be an interesting fight. Many felt that Hooker's chances were less due to his brutal loss against Edson Barboza.
However, Hooker has come a long way since then and the loss to the Brazilian was the catalyst for Hooker's entry into the top 5. But whether he can hang with the elite in UFC's most popular division is something we'll find out this weekend on June 27th.
