Eugene Bareman reveals how COVID-19 drastically impacted Dan Hooker's 'random training camp' against Islam Makhachev

City Kickboxing (CKB) gym head coach Eugene Bareman explained how COVID-19 adversely affected Dan Hooker's training camp for Islam Makhachev.

Hooker was fresh off a unanimous decision win against Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 266 on September 25th, 2021. Following that, 'The Hangman' faced Islam Makhachev on short notice. Hooker fought Makhachev at UFC 267 on October 30th, 2021, and lost the one-sided fight via first-round submission.

On The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Eugene Bareman recalled that 'The Hangman's' training camp for the Islam Makhachev bout wasn't up to par. He stated that since the COVID-19 restrictions were still very stringent in their native New Zealand at the time, Hooker couldn't train properly for the fight.

Bareman alluded to the fact that he and everyone at the CKB gym are elated after the COVID-19 restrictions were finally relaxed in New Zealand this September. Harking back to how COVID-19 drastically impacted Hooker and other CKB fighters' careers, Bareman stated:

"We (CKB) were taking fights in the worst possible circumstances that you could possibly get. There was fights that Dan was taking, and he could only train in his garage with the people he lived with, for some of the best fighters in the world," said Bareman.

"There was a fight that he took against Makhachev, where we couldn't get any coaches there. He had to stay in America and just put together some random training camp. It's like, and then he had to fly over with some people that have never cornered a fight, let alone a UFC fight at that level," he continued.

Watch Bareman discuss the topic at 38:32 in the video below:

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Dan Hooker warns Islam Makhachev against underestimating Alexander Volkanovski

Dan Hooker is set to face Claudio Puelles in a lightweight bout at UFC 281 on November 12th, 2022.

Meanwhile, reigning UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is expected to defend his title against the UFC's No. 1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter. That being the UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284 on February 12th, 2023.

In an interview with Submission Radio, Dan Hooker emphasized that his CKB teammate Alexander Volkanovski could give trouble to the formidable Islam Makhachev. He opined that against 'Volk,' Makhachev would have a tough time employing his usual game plan of holding his opponents down and wearing them out.

Warning Makhachev against overlooking Volkanovski, Hooker said:

"For Islam to turn around very quickly and call out Alexander Volkanovski...I feel like they're doing it because obviously, it's a chance at the No.1 pound-for-pound rank, but I feel like they are kind of looking down at [Volkanovski]. They're in for a whole lot of trouble," said Hooker.

Watch Hooker's interview below: