"Ton of respect for him" - Dana White praises Dan Hooker for taking short-notice fight against Islam Makhachev

Dana White has commended Dan Hooker for taking the short-notice fight against Islam Makhachev. In the press conference after Dana White's Contender Series 42, the UFC president praised Hooker, saying:

"Ton of respect for him, when the [Rafael dos Anjos fight] fell out, we were looking for a few guys and Hooker literally stepped up and said, 'I'm in, I'll take it.' And I'm pretty sure, I don't know how it all worked out but I was hearing he's gonna be spending some time away from his family for a while so yeah, a ton of respect for him especially against a guy like Islam."

Watch Dana White's full press conference below: (Comments on Dan Hooker at 13:00)

Dan Hooker accepted the fight against Makhachev just days after his fight against Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 266. He secured a unanimous decision victory after a clinical performance.

While talking to The MacLife, Dan Hooker revealed why he had taken the short notice fight against Makhachev. The Kiwi explained that he wants to be the first to make Islam Makhachev 'look human':

“Yeah, he is like, he’s got a little bit of the (Khabib Nurmagomedov) mystique. It has rubbed off on him. And his last few performances have been fairly dominant. I’ve trained with Drew (Dober), and the way he fought Drew was pretty decisive. Even [in] his last fight, he came out there and it was a pretty dominant fight. So, it’s like, there’s definite skill there. There’s definite skill there, but I would love to be the first one to get out there and just make him look human. Because I know we all are."

Watch the interview below:

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Dan Hooker claims money was not the motivation to take the fight against Islam Makhachev

On The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Hooker cleared the air about his intentions for taking the short notice fight against Islam Makhachev. Helwani insinuated that the UFC likely put some significant numbers on the table for Hooker to take the fight.

The New Zealander then responded, saying that money was never paramount for him and that his friends and family are aware of that fact.

Watch Ariel Helwani's full show video below: