UFC fighter Dan Hooker has sparked controversy with his venture into sports promotion.
Hooker joins a list of UFC figures, including Jorge Masvidal, Anthony Pettis, Chael Sonnen, Urijah Faber, and even Khabib Nurmagomedov, who have explored promotion outside their fighting careers.
He recently announced “King of the Streets,” a striking event set to take place in his home country of New Zealand.
However, the planned event has drawn significant criticism from local boxing authorities, who are expressing strong disapproval.
New Zealand Boxing Association President Criticizes Dan Hooker’s ‘King of the Streets’ Event
Scheduled for Saturday in Auckland, “King of the Streets” is promoted as a boxing tournament featuring fights with MMA gloves and a grand prize of $50,000 for the winner.
In promotional videos, Hooker, also known as ‘The Hangman,’ detailed the controversial format: one-minute rounds with no weight restrictions.
The event has also received an endorsement from Hooker’s teammate and fellow UFC star, Israel Adesanya.
Israel Adesanya was quoted saying, “Bring the family, bring the whanau, bring everyone, come watch, you’ll get knocked out or knock someone the f*** out.”
Hooker reportedly faced no issues finding participants, even stating he had an excess of fighters willing to compete. However, this enthusiasm is not universally shared.
The president of New Zealand’s Boxing Coaches Association, Billy Meehan, sharply criticized the event in an interview, going as far as to warn that someone could potentially be ‘killed’.
Meehan contrasted it with traditional boxing rules: “The rules are a lot different [in boxing]. For starters we don’t do one-minute rounds. You’re saying to the guy in the corner get out and start smashing the other guy as best you can. Boxing is an art form; it’s a sport and this is straight-out thuggery.”
He added, “What you’ve got there is just thugs getting in there and going out and they’re just like absolutely smashing each other and we’re going to see somebody get seriously hurt, if not killed.”
Meehan also raised concerns about sanctioning and transparency: “It’s got to be sanctioned by a sanctioning body. They’re not even advertising where they’re holding this so the police obviously don’t even know.”
“People who can hold boxing tournaments are actually listed on the Wrestling and Boxing Act. Dan Hooker’s not on the Wrestling and Boxing Act,” Meehan concluded, questioning the legality.
Dan Hooker`s History of Exciting Octagon Fights
Given Hooker`s reputation in the Octagon, convincing him to alter the event`s format might be challenging for the boxing authorities.
Known as ‘The Hangman,’ he has earned a reputation for his willingness to engage in intense, high-damage fights.
This was evident during International Fight Week in 2023, where Hooker overcame significant challenges to win a thrilling fight against Jalin Turner.
Despite suffering a badly broken arm in the first round of his UFC 290 bout in Las Vegas, the determined New Zealander fought on and secured the victory on two of the three scorecards.
A similarly intense performance was anticipated for his scheduled bout against Justin Gaethje in March 2025.
However, a broken hand forced ‘The Hangman’ to withdraw from UFC 313. The popular fighter is currently recovering and has no set date for his return.
