"There are a lot of judgment calls as a referee" - Dan Hooker insists referees know when a fighter is looking for a way out

Dan Hooker recently praised the referees of the octagon. 'The Hangman' complemented the skill and the reliabilty of the UFC's referee in making tough, split-second judgment calls.

The Kiwi believes this knowledge only comes through experience. He applauded the officials for knowing when a fighter is done inside the cage:

"There are a lot of judgment calls as a referee. Not everything is set in stone. There's a lot of subtle things just from experience. You know when a guy is out of it, you know when a guy is looking for a way out."

A lightweight and featherweight contender, Hooker is no stranger to referee stoppages throughout his UFC career. The New Zealander has finished multiple opponents and been finished himself.

Speaking with JHK on The All Star YouTube channel, Hooker was asked if he believes referees often give more leniancy in championship bouts:

"Two sides to the coin. Me as a fighter and me as a coach. There's always been an unwritten rule that in a title fight, 'Let it go a little bit longer', but what they do, and they do the right thing, they put the right people in the right spots. They give a title fight to Herb Dean or a super experienced referee."

While it may seem strange to have an unwritten rule for some, 'The Hangman' applauded the work of the officials in the octagon. Much like a fighter, referees are making split-second decisions that affect the outcome of a fight. The added pressure of then trying to let events to continue and remain 'exciting', is a skill learnt through experience.

Watch the full interview with Dan Hooker on The All Star channel here:

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What next for Dan Hooker?

'The Hangman' has had a mixed period of results as of late in the UFC. For the second time in his career, he finds himself on a two-fight losing streak. His most recent performance, a return to featherweight, resulted in a a first-round TKO loss to Arnold Allen.

Ranked No.13 in the lightweight rankings, Hooker has already teased a fight back at his more natural and succesful 155lbs against the recently returned Rafael dos Anjos.

'RDA', who made his octagon return after a two-year hiatus, defeated Renato Moicano in March 2022. The Brazilian, on a two-fight winning streak, took to Twitter to issue a call for a fight in the summer.

Dan Hooker, who is 1-4 in his last five bouts, responded with confidence, giving fans hope they will see 'The Hangman' back in the octagon sooner than expected.