Mixed martial arts star Dan Hooker has remained active this year despite being sidelined from the octagon. A hand injury in March forced him to withdraw from a highly anticipated co-main event bout against Justin Gaethje.
Originally, `The Hangman` had hoped for a quicker return, but subsequent delays impacted his recovery and training schedule. Fortunately, these setbacks are now behind him. Hooker is set to headline UFC Doha on November 22, where he will face Arman Tsarukyan. However, his return to the UFC doesn`t mean he`s abandoning the new passion he developed during his recovery: promoting boxing events.
Dan Hooker`s Vision: A Boxing Tournament for “Dads with No Fights”
Earlier this year, Hooker faced some criticism for launching his own local boxing tournaments in New Zealand. Undeterred, `The Hangman` continued to host these “1-minute scraps,” which quickly became a regular fixture. Last month, he stepped into the role of a promoter, motivating competitors before their gym-based showdowns.
“It`s generating quite a buzz,” Hooker recently shared with Combat TV. “I have shows planned for November, December, and January. Each one has a distinct theme; for instance, November`s event is `King of Knockouts,` requiring participants to have a prior knockout on their record.”
As the interview concluded, Hooker revealed plans for an even more distinctive themed event. This upcoming tournament promises to be truly unique.
“For the next one, I have a cool idea. I`m not even focusing on professional fighters; it`s going to be for dads. With Christmas approaching in December, I thought, `Dads need money for Christmas.` So, we`ll get dads involved – dads who haven`t had any official fights. These are guys who`ve probably trained for a long time but never found the opportunity to compete, so we`re reaching out to them.”
A Busy Period Ahead for Dan Hooker
In addition to his burgeoning boxing promotion, Dan Hooker is clearly highly motivated for his much-anticipated UFC comeback next month. He has actively pursued a fight with Arman Tsarukyan for a considerable time. This matchup holds significant weight, potentially serving as a title eliminator given their respective rankings in the lightweight division.
Hooker even expressed greater motivation for this fight compared to the Justin Gaethje bout that ultimately fell through, disappointing many fans.
“This is the fight I truly wanted because I feel like he`s someone everyone expects to beat me,” Hooker explained to Combat TV. “That`s precisely what I`m looking for. Everyone talks about the Gaethje fight and other exciting matchups, but for me, I want the toughest challenge. I want to face the guy everyone thinks I`ll lose to… This fight genuinely motivates me to get out of bed. The Gaethje fight didn`t quite have that same effect.”
