Joe Rogan argues Dan Hooker might be solid matchup for Islam Makhachev down the line: "He's a dog"

Joe Rogan recently discussed who could challenge Islam Makhachev in the future and made a strong argument for Dan Hooker. The Australian has been experiencing a career resurgence that has resulted in him climbing up to No. 5 in the UFC lightweight rankings.

'The Hangman' most recently earned an impressive split decision win over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305 as well as a post-fight bonus for Fight of the Night. It was his third consecutive win as he came into the fight following back-to-back wins over Claudio Puelles and Jalin Turner.

During a recent episode of JRE MMA Show, the UFC commentator told guest Belal Muhammad to keep an eye on the Australian as somebody who could be nearing a title shot. Rogan mentioned that Hooker has showcased his resilience and has already proven that he can hold his own with the top contenders in the division:

"People forget about Dan Hooker. They forgot about him too. He's a dog...went blow-for-blow with Dustin Poirier. That was as close a fight as you're gonna get. And again, another change of the career, right? Dustin moves on from that, gets the Conor [McGregor] fights...People forget about that fight, that was a fu**ing very close fight...[Hooker is] a bad motherf*****." [1:30:03 - 1:30:39]

Check out the full episode of Joe Rogan's JRE MMA Show below:

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Dan Hooker and Islam Makhachev have already fought

Despite Joe Rogan's strong argument for Dan Hooker possibly challenging Islam Makhachev in the future, it's important to note that they have already fought in the past.

The lightweight bout took place at UFC 267 in 2021, which saw 'The Hangman' accept the fight on a month's notice after earning a unanimous decision over Nasrat Haqparast the previous month. It was a dominant performance for Makhachev as he submitted Hooker via kimura at 2:25 in the first round.

Check out highlights from Islam Makhachev's win over Dan Hooker below: