Dan Hooker is gunning for a crossroads-style matchup with none other than Tony Ferguson at UFC 281 in the famed Madison Square Garden, New York.
The veteran New Zealand lightweight didn’t mince words when he took to social media last week in an effort to establish a line of connection with his fellow fan-favorite veteran. In what seemed to be an appeal to Ferguson’s ego, Hooker aimed some choice fighting words in ‘El Cucuy’s direction.
Headlining that November pay-per-view event is a long-awaited third meeting between kickboxing legend Alex Pereira, and UFC middleweight king, Israel Adesanya; Hooker’s long-time friend and teammate. ‘The Hangman’ revealed yesterday that his recent callout was spurred on by Adesanya, who’s seeking camaraderie on the main card.
“Stylebender messaged me and said ‘bro get that Tony fight on the MSG card, November 12th,” Hooker recounted on The AllStar’s MMA Live show following UFC Vegas 58. “So I said ‘alright, hold my beer – I’m gonna get this.”
“That’s a big fight for both of us. You know what I mean – who can get back in the mix? That’s what it is. It’s not both of us, only one can go forward. Only one can progress. This is not a fairytale, you know what I mean? We can fight, we can sort it out, and one of us gets back in the mix.”
“Stylebender wants it, I want it – what you say, Tony?” Hooker posited.
The Kiwi shared that originally his ideal return date would have been for this month, or October at the latest – but he had no luck in securing a contract. Now that the date has been pushed back, Hooker is adamant Ferguson has “no excuses” for refusing his callout, suggesting the 38-year-old hang up the gloves should he not accept the bout.
“If you can’t get ready in 12 weeks or 13 weeks, just retire then. If you can’t get your ass out of bed for 12 weeks then just piss off and retire. That’s how I feel about it.”
In Hooker’s mind, there’s nothing else on the table for his would-be opponent.
“I don’t know who else he thinks he’s gonna fight… I don’t think he can get a Conor McGregor fight. Why would Conor fight him when he can fight – I think Chandler makes the most sense for Conor at this stage. So besides Conor McGregor, who else is there for Tony? I think it’s the biggest fight that he can get himself.”
Quizzed on how far along the pair are in negotiations, Hooker had no update to share but asserted that he’s all in on the matchup, and the decision lies solely with the man he hopes to face on November 12.
“It’s on Tony. It’s 100% on Tony. I’m in. My management’s in. The UFC is in. Everyone loves the fight… It’s 100% on Tony. If this fight doesn’t happen, 100% Tony Ferguson doesn’t want this fight.”